


L'Amour En Mer

by meezer13



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cruise Ship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-04
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-01-11 03:34:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 50
Words: 106,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1168182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meezer13/pseuds/meezer13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Survey Corps Cruises is a prestigious cruise line with a small fleet of ships. The most popular and award-winning ship is La Liberte and her Captain- Levi Rivaille is well know for his perfectionism in keeping his boat the best. When the previous cruise director retires, a new, much younger one arrives. Eren Jaeger has worked his way up in a short time to this position and the Captain wants to know just what makes this brat so special to deserve such an honor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

April 

“I run a tight ship.” My voice reverberated throughout the small room. Loud and intimidating. I could see the look of fear on some of their faces. Good, I thought to myself. Employees who know fear tended to work out better in the long run. This is the cruise industry after all and it’s a cutthroat business. The turnover rate is a bitch as well, which explains why I have to attend these dumbass orientation meetings too many times per year.

I continued on with my brief, annoying but mandatory introduction speech to the latest members of our crew. “I am Captain Levi Rivaille of the award-winning La Liberte, part of the renowned Survey Corps Cruise fleet, on which you are now sailing and completing your on-the-job training. I strive for nothing short of excellence from every one of my crew members and I will absolutely not tolerate any shit from any one of you.”

My last statement earns me some more looks of trepidation, a few glimpses of disdain and a handful of chuckles as I glance over the new recruits. From the looks of the newly-issued uniforms they sported, most of them appear to be headed for food service, a few in housekeeping and one or two headed to the children’s program. How the latter could want to deal with obnoxious brats and their even worse germs was beyond me. It had to be a fate worse than hell. At least in housekeeping you were charged with keeping everything pristine and sharp looking- all the while wearing protective gloves. I could greatly appreciate those skills, babysitting, not so much. 

So I continue on with my canned speech, as monotonous as it was for me, it was the first time hearing it for all of these new, eager employees who seemed thrilled to be getting a paycheck in addition to their tiny, shared rooms and meals. The pride I feel for this ship is immense and my respect for my fellow officers who help me keep her running even more so, it’s just tasks like these take their toll after a while. I can only hope that this new batch of faces will stay long enough to prevent me from having to repeat this same spiel again in a few months. I’m just about to wrap everything up when I decide to take another quick inspection of the room to see how enthusiastic this group is so I can gauge how much hope I will need.

I finished scanning the group when my sights lock onto the most vibrant blue-green pairs of eyes, a color I had only ever seen once before, many years ago and in a shithole of a place, far from here. Fierce with determination and maybe mischievousness, but also inviting and warm. Quite a bit of contradiction going on in those orbs, as he dares to stare right back at me. I broke my gaze and did a quick glance up and down on this fine specimen. He’s the only one in the group wearing the pristine whites of an officer, so I can safely assume that this is our new cruise director- rather young for the position as I wondered how he came to be hired for this ship. Human Resources had advised me that they had found someone extraordinary for the position from among a ton of candidates. Being that La Liberte was the most picky with new hires in the fleet, it was hard to imagine that this youngster would have been chosen to replace the last cruise director who had just retired after many years of exceptional service. Fleetwise, it was the rare gem indeed who was granted an officer’s position at such a young age. He couldn’t possibly have many years of experience under his belt. Not unless he had found the Fountain of Youth in his prior sailing adventures. I was intrigued to say the very least, as our eyes lock again.

We continued with the intense eye contact until I turned and paced back over to the other side of the room to conclude my welcoming speech. “Each of you has already had your preliminary training and this last portion, as your probationary period is to prove you are cut out for the actual job at hand. Your immediate supervisors are here to escort you to your new crew quarters and provide a quick tour of your working area. You should have already received a detailed map of the entire ship to show you both passenger and crew areas, so there should be no excuses for getting lost. I trust each and every one of you will prove to be a valuable asset to our ship and provide the utmost in service to our passengers. Rest assured any unprofessional or illicit activities will be rewarded with a nice stay in the ship’s brig.”

I spied more looks of worry from the new recruits and I am quite satisfied my message has sunk in. No nonsense will be tolerated under my command. I turned around again and headed back to the middle of the room. Blue-green again assaulted my line of vision in that sea of new and boring faces even though I was trying to avoid it at all costs. I kept being drawn back in involuntarily. 

I wrap up my speech with “Welcome to La Liberte and good luck to all of you. Your immediate supervisors will take it from here.” I headed towards the door quickly to make a well-deserved exit. I really do hate doing these things and couldn’t wait to get back to my room to prepare for the next sailing that evening. The last thing I saw before I departed from the room was a flash of blue-green again along with the brightest smile I have ever seen. “He could be a fucking lighthouse with that smile,” I thought to myself as I walked down the hall back to my quarters, wondering what other surprises this youth had. Yes, this new director truly had me captivated.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next few hours were a flurry of activity on the ship. La Liberte sailed out of Barcelona most of the time, however, the originating port was subject to change throughout the year, based on demand and itinerary. Currently, we were sailing out of one of my favorite ports, Cannes. It was close to my hometown in France and I felt most comfortable there. Most of the cruises were seven days in length, traveling to many ports on the Mediterranean Sea. We did offer some special sailings of ten or fourteen days throughout the year and these were nice to break up the monotony. Thankfully being a luxury ship, it was smaller and more intimate, with a capacity of only 500 passengers. In contrast we had almost 200 crew members to keep everything running smoothly. And right now, preparing for the next sailing had all crew members scrambling. 

No sooner did I finish my most dreaded task of the orientation speech for the newbies, I then had to complete my second, least favorite chore. Paperwork. Tons of fucking paperwork. Things only the Captain could sign and approve. My First Officer Erd and Chief Engineer Mike were already hard at work doing safety checks of all the equipment and I yearned to join then. That is why I became a Captain in the first place- to make sure my ship was safe and to sail her wherever the wind, or in this case, the Survey Corps Corporation took us. I had spent 90 percent of my adult life on a boat of some sort and it was home to me. I wondered how the new crew members would fare, knowing that some of them had never been at sea before. Working in the Hospitality industry on land provided great experience but did not teach anything about what it was like to perform those same duties while floating along, on the unpredictable and powerfully unforgiving seas.  
I was just finishing up my paperwork for the day, when my thoughts turned back to those eyes of the new Cruise Director. His eyes looked like they were from the sea itself, unlike mine which always reminded me of the storm clouds brewing, causing the sea’s tempest to swell. I normally couldn’t care less about any new employee but I was uncharacteristically curious about this young officer. Where did he come from? Why would a young man with the whole world ahead of him want to work on a cruise ship away from home, family and friends most of the time, locked in tiny crew quarters? Why did his eyes and smile light up an entire room and why do I even care?

Well, it was almost noon and all of the officers have their team meeting at 3pm before we get ready to sail. Maybe some of these burning questions would get answered at that point. In the meantime, I needed to try to focus on other tasks to keep my mind occupied until then.   
Luckily, we had just gotten a new shipment of safety equipment-life rafts and vests. It wasn’t normally my job, but I felt a responsibility to inspect each piece. After all, the safety of the passengers and crew was always my top priority and even if I had subordinates to handle menial tasks like these, I felt more confident when I knew I personally ensured everything was in working order. 

About two hours later, I had completed the inspection and handed the equipment over to my second officer in command, Oluo Bossard. That left me with just the right amount of time to tidy up and have a nice, hot cup of tea before the meeting.

Refreshed and renewed, I head to the officer’s meeting room a little early for our normally brief debriefing. Unfortunately, I had a feeling that today’s meeting would be a lot longer than normal since we had a new officer for the first time in a few years. As soon as I entered the room, I knew my suspicions were accurate, as I am faced immediately with the Commodore of our little cruise fleet, Erwin Smith. 

“Shit,” I muttered imperceptibly under my breath. Any chance of this meeting going by quickly was immediately squashed. 

“Captain Rivaille! How wonderful to see you again,” the tall, buff and blond Commodore greeted me enthusiastically with a blunt slap to my back.

“Commodore Smith, I am honored to have you back aboard sir,” I replied as cheerfully as I could through gritted teeth. It’s not as if I don’t like the Commodore; quite the contrary, I respected him greatly and we were friends off the clock as well. I just didn’t feel like sitting through polite bullshit and ass-kissing when I really wanted to be at the helm getting the ship sailing.

I headed towards my seat and he looked down at me and patted me again, less harshly this time, on the back. “It’s good to be back on La Liberte, Levi. I haven’t sailed with you since last year.”

“I’m sure you have had your hands full with the new ship, Le Soleil, this past year. So what brings you aboard today, sir? “

“Well, I came to observe the first sailing for the new Cruise Director, Eren Jaeger. I’m sure you met him earlier today.”

“Jaeger, huh? Well, he was at the Orientation meeting but no one had the proper manners to introduce us properly. Where is he coming from?” Maybe I could get some of that information I craved about this kid from the Commodore. 

“He worked for 5 years aboard our ship, L’Etoile.”

“ Just 5 years? Isn’t he a little young for this position? We have crew that have been here over a decade and still haven’t ranked up.”

“You of all people should know that age doesn’t matter. You became this company’s youngest captain at age 32 and we gave you the newest ship at that time. It was unheard of in our industry but you worked your ass off and you deserved it.”

“So I am guessing the same goes for this kid? Is that what you are hinting at, Commodore?”

“He’s not a kid, Levi, he is 27.”

“27 is still a brat in my book until he can demonstrate otherwise.”

The Commodore chuckled. “Ok, I won’t try to convince you. I am confident that he will prove himself to you soon enough. Everyone loves him and he is a super determined and diligent worker. I picked him out myself, like I did you, those many years ago.”

“Tch- don’t you dare make me seem so old; it wasn’t that many years ago- only five, old man.”

The Commodore could only laugh, knowing he loved to ruffle my feathers, the jerk.

We both took our seats and within a few moments, the rest of the officers filed in. So much for grilling him for more information on Jaeger. Oh well. Each one saluted their Captain and the Commodore, as it was a rare treat to have the leader of their fleet sit in on their little pre-sailing meeting. The brat came in last, escorted by my third office, Jean Kirchstein, both grinning madly, assuming they had just finished up the tour of the ship and the quarters that the two would now to share. Jean had seemed quite excited when he was told the previous director was retiring and he’d be getting a new, younger roommate. I just hadn’t known how much younger until today, not having had time to be a part of the hiring process. I had left the choice completely up to the Commodore and my first officer, Erd, along with the human resources department. I was just too busy with the daily responsibilities of the ship. Safety, navigation and comfort of the guests and crew were my top priorities and while the Cruise Director is a critical position on board, he would be more customer-facing than directly working under me. But looking at him now maybe I wouldn’t mind him being directly under me in a different circumstance. Whoa- wait- where the hell did that come from? Back to reality, Levi.

Everyone finished their greetings and took their seats for the meeting. Since my superior was in attendance, he naturally started the proceedings. Of course that meant a formal introduction of our newest member and this time, the room was much smaller, and I could actually get a closer, more intimate look of the young man. And obviously, the brat with the eyes to die for and the smile that could illuminate the darkest night chose to sit directly across from me so he could take me in fully as well. Exactly in the one place where it was impossible to ignore him or avoid eye contact. Dammit.

“Good afternoon everyone. I am honored to be back here in Cannes on our most decorated ship and with our most esteemed Captain Rivaille. I am sailing with you today for two reasons. First and foremost is to welcome our new Cruise Director, Eren Jaeger to La Liberte and to observe him on his first weeks on the job. I’ve seen him in action on L’Etoile and can’t wait to observe how wonderfully he fills this position with his determination and never-ending positive energy. Secondly, our yearly inspection period is upon us soon, so I want to ensure that everything is in pristine condition. I have no doubts about that since Captain Rivaille never lets things slip for even a moment, but I just need to make sure for myself before the inspectors run loose on this boat. So Eren, have you met all of the officers here already?”

“Almost all of them, sir. Mr. Kirschstein has graciously shown me around, but I haven’t had a chance to meet anyone else formally.” he replied and looked directly at me, expecting some introductions I could only guess, as I was not the one who had posed the question.

The Commodore also looked right at me and asked me to go around the room and point everyone out, just in case. Love it how he puts me on the spot.

“Of course, Sir. Mr. Jaeger, these are all of your fellow officers starting from my right and going clockwise: our Medical Officer, Hanji Zoe, Chief Engineer, Mike Zacharrias, First Officer, Erd Ginn, Second Officer Oluo Bossard, Third Officer Jean Kirschstein, Chief Security Officer Dot Pixis , Hotel Directors- Armin Arlert and Mikasa Ackermann and finally Head of Child Programming Petra Ral. I think you’ve already personally met most of them and for those you haven’t, I’m sure you’ll get to work with them soon enough. Everyone here works hard to be a close-knit group, knowing we are all looking out for each other and for our passengers. From what the Commodore tells me, you should fit right in. So again, welcome aboard. Would you care to say a few words about yourself before we have to get down to business?”

“Thank you so much Captain. Yes, I would just like to thank you and the Commodore for this opportunity. I can’t wait to get out there with the passengers and show them all of the unlimited, amazing options on La Liberte. I know she has won many awards- almost as many as her Captain, and I plan to do everything I can to keep that trend going strong. I have admired Captain Rivaille for a long time so I am eager to work my hardest and make him proud. So Captain, please tell me right away if I am not performing at full potential, so I can fix it immediately.”

He looks right at me directly in the eyes, locking onto me like a missile target. Looking like he just can’t contain himself. Admired me for a long time? What an odd statement, since he couldn’t not have even known about me until he started to work for the Survey Corp Corporation. Hmm…I give him my best deadpan look but a tiny smirk sneaks by unexpectedly anyway, as if he was able to pull it from me like a magnet to metal. It’s still too early for me to tell if this kid is the real deal or if he’s just some corporate, brown-noser. Something inside me was insanely curious about which one it was and was looking forward to some investigative work. I immediately squashed that something down since it was bordering on the personal rather than work-related- there could be none of that in a professional work environment. I would just perform my daily duties as Captain by supervising this brat and if I needed to dig deeper to perform my job properly, then so be it. 

I reply to this kid’s enthusiasm “I’ll be sure to let you know in no uncertain terms, if you mess up, Jaeger. Don’t worry. And please don’t think I will go easy on you just because you are new here. You’ll need to be walking on eggshells during your probationary period anyway.” With that, I continue on with the normal meeting agenda and 30 minutes later, we are all off to our stations to prepare to set sail.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

May

That first sailing, I admit I was extremely harsh and unforgiving on the brat. I criticized and nitpicked everything he did, anything he said. He was still green enough to be moulded into what I wanted him to be. It was still his probationary, on-the-job training period and I knew damn well it would take a few weeks for him just to get used to layout and procedures on my ship as opposed to his last position. Still, I could not resist ragging on him- giving him the tough love approach to training during those four weeks. The most infuriating part about the whole thing, was he took my criticism (borderline abuse) with a gleaming smile and a promise to do better the next time. And of course, at the next opportunity, he would execute his task flawlessly, leaving me with the challenge of finding something else to correct him on. This would just piss me off to no end, finding this guy to be too good to be true.

In addition, having Commodore Smith on board for that four weeks just added to my irritation. All day, every day, he had to constantly remind me of how well Jaeger was fitting in, how quickly he was learning and how much the passengers all seemed to adore him and his annoyingly jolly and quirky personality. Not to mention how often the Commodore would remark how much the kid was like me, and how he was on the fast track to becoming a captain maybe even earlier than I had. The brat meshed in seamlessly with the rest of the crew, especially Jean who had taken quite a liking to the director. They were almost joined at the hip. Also, it annoyed me incessantly to have everyone else run up to him, laughing and making small talk at any opportunity. Except of course when I was standing next to the kid. One death glare towards anyone daring to approach made them reconsider immediately. No crew person would dare be caught making idle chit chat with the brat while I was right there, knowing that my punishment for slacking off for just a few moments would be severe. 

Gratefully, the month passed by quickly and I bid a fond farewell to the Commodore. While we were close friends outside of work, he was still my superior while on board. I admit I was selfishly aware that I enjoyed full omnipotence on my ship and his presence hindered the power I have. And thank goodness I wouldn’t have to tolerate any more of his sickeningly sweet compliments every time Jaeger accomplished some mediocre task. Like he was some sort of chosen one. It was almost akin to training a puppy instead of an officer. Now it would be time to stop any coddling and get down to brass tacks. He wouldn’t be under constant scrutiny anymore so now chances of his fucking up on his own were much greater and I would gleefully hold him accountable for every little error until he was fully indoctrinated to my ways and those of La Liberte. 

I gave Commodore Smith a handshake as he departed via the crew gangplank, promising to get together for dinner and drinks with his wife once we both had some mutual time off. He always tried to insist on me taking more vacation time; but I constantly declined, taking just the bare minimum. Who knew what the hell would happen to my ship if I was away for too long? And who wants to be a third wheel, never having time or desire to settle down with any one person. Besides, why would I want to give up my power and thrill of being on the high seas in command of a lovely vessel and her crew? A crew that had frequent turnover on the less-glamorous positions. Which snapped me back to reality as the Commodore disappeared from my sight. I had to go to another onerous orientation meeting-way too soon for my liking. The one from last month that introduced me to Jaeger also brought many new prospects for housekeeping and food services. Too bad less than half of them survived the probationary period. I am sure their immediate supervisors weren’t half as harsh on them as I was on the brat, but life on a cruise ship is not for the faint of heart. Cramped, shared living quarters, long shifts, homesickness and even the constant motion of the sea can prove too much for many. Thank goodness that the officers on this ship were in it for the long haul and I only had to deal with just the initial orientation of the rest of the new crew.

On my way to the meeting, I cross paths with Mr. Shining Star himself, all green eyes and smiles.

“Hello Captain!” came the far too chipper greeting from the young man. I looked up to acknowledge his presence and his luminous eyes and pure smile are just way too bright for early morning. Maybe I have just turned half vampire being isolated in my cabin as much as possible. With no window in my living quarters it was easy to get too comfortable in the low-light conditions. Either way, I am blinded temporarily by his company.

“Good morning, Jaeger” I replied and stopped walking for a moment for fear of running into a wall – certainly not to engage in further conversation. 

Of course the brat had to seize the opportunity of the slight pause in my travels. “I’m so happy that my probationary period is over. I feel like I am truly part of the team now. “

“I’m sure that feels nice.” I replied and tried to resume my trip back to my quarters but I am still not seeing things fully and I knew that Jaeger loved to strike up conversations. I guess that’s why he is so approachable and personable and I am considered arrogant and cold. 

“It seems like I am finally home. At last, I got settled in my room with Officer Kirschstein and he doesn’t need to be following me around everywhere anymore. I found that adding some personal touches to the room really helps and everyone has just been so nice. The crew’s fitness center and pool are much nicer on La Liberte than on L’Etoile and I can’t wait to use them now that I have the access badge. The jogging track was great to use in the evening for the last few weeks to keep in shape but I can’t wait to use the equipment- it’s all the latest and greatest.”

“Tch- of course it is. I personally picked it out. I want my crew to be in the best shape possible at all times.”

“It shows Captain. Every little detail on this ship was touched by you personally- that’s why she’s won so many awards. But now I can do my jogging in the morning like I prefer and my evening break will now be spent in the fitness center.”

Hmm, if the brat was that dedicated to fitness, I wondered what he looked like under those whites. He was quite a sight fully clothed as it was. Wait- I should not even be thinking of that. “Don’t overdo anything Jaeger. It will take years for you to catch up to me and the senior officers. And by the way, before the meeting, take care of that smudge on your shoe. I don’t tolerate even the smallest blemish on my officer’s uniforms.”

“Yes, sir. I apologize for my sloppiness. I will correct that right away and will meet you at the meeting.” And with that he gave me a quick salute, turned around and briskly headed back to his room. Hmmm-a view of him that I hadn’t truly taken in before at close range; a very satisfying view if I have to admit to myself.

That brat- Always too happy to comply. I was at least hoping to see him get slightly flustered or annoyed- that spot on his shoe was barely noticeable to the naked eye. I guess I wanted to see how far I could push him with non-existent problems before he started to fight back. Nothing ever seemed to deflate his positive attitude or tone down his eagerness to please and succeed. Oh well, maybe another day. One day I’ll find his Achilles’ heel and then…. Hmm, then what? I had no idea. Why was I even trying to get him flustered in the first place? Oh yeah, I solely wanted to see him not being perfect for just one moment and observe what those eyes looked like in defiance. I smirked to myself at those thoughts as I headed back towards the meeting room now that I have recovered from my temporary loss of sight. 

In the meeting room, The Commodore had left me the paperwork to review and file for the handful of employees who had survived the probationary period. There was a small stack of the employee files to go through and I had plenty of time before the meeting. I signed off on them one by one until I came to the last one. ‘Jaeger, Eren’ it said on the tab. His file was much thicker than the others being that he had been employed by the company for a few years compared with most of the others who had just been hired off the street. Temptation and curiosity got the best of me and I slowly flipped through the papers contained in the file. I was never able to corner the Commodore to grill him for more information while he was onboard so I was hoping to gleam a few details from the folder in front of me. I was already familiar with the paper on top which I needed to sign, since that was his evaluation after his probationary period. He had achieved top marks in all areas – the only negative comment on there was one I had made about how his hair always seemed disheveled. His uniform was almost always impeccable so it was the one and only thing I could find fault with. Commodore Smith laughed at the remark when he saw it and knew I was being overly fastidious so he did not feel any corrective action was needed on Eren’s part. As I flipped through the rest of the paperwork, there was very little personal information about his past and I couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Just an old resume that showed that he had worked a few odd jobs while in High School and hadn’t even attended college of any sort nor served in the military. He had done some volunteer work for the Peace Corps but that was about it. Probably hand fed orphaned kittens or some other such sickeningly sweet good deeds. Can’t imagine what would have inspired him to work on a cruise ship- it’s not exactly a glamorous life. I flipped through some more pages and also saw lots of kudos and recognitions of service over his five years on L’Etoile. He had literally worked his way up from the bottom as a food server in such a short amount of time and I knew I would be adding more to this file soon. Recent guest comments had already been coming in, praising the work of the new Cruise Director. Little Mr. Perfect Brat was certainly driven, I could only wonder to myself what the driving force was and grudgingly compared him to a younger me, who followed a similar path. 

All too soon, I was broken out of my reverie as my first officer, Erd, started shuffling in the latest hires and forcing me to smile and muster through another damn Welcome Orientation speech. Thank goodness there were just a few new employees and I was able to get through it in record speed. The newbies were ushered out and my officers shuffled in for our pre-cruise conference. Luckily this also went by quickly, since there was not much new happening. Everyone shared their general observations with me if they saw anything that might be in need of repair or improvement. They knew I did not tolerate failures or shortcomings in front of the passengers if it was something that could have been prevented ahead of time. So things that might seem trivial to some, like a squeaky door or a batch of unsweet berries, meant a huge issue to me if it caused an inconvenience or less than perfect experience for a paying customer. La Liberte had the very highest of ideals and if there was one point I needed to drive home at every single one of these pre-sailing meetings, it was keeping up those standards and striving to create even better ones. Most of my officers had heard this speech hundreds of times and they knew to look interested and made sure to point out every little item that needed attention but it had been a long time since I had gotten a captive audience. Bright blue-green eyes stared with rapt attention to my every word as if I had the answers to the meaning of life. Partly, this was unnerving but also flattering to know that someone else shared my passion for perfection. At least I could enjoy it now before the brat became jaded like the rest. They all still did their best but their performance was out of duty and monetary need. Unlike Jaeger who flourished under pressure and became even more intensely happy when I corrected him. Looking at that fire in his eyes right now as I glanced at him quickly, I wanted to touch those flames. Whatever was the fuel for them, I didn’t care. Maybe he was a masochist….hmm, and maybe so was I.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a lot of fun with this fic. Hope you enjoyed and thanks so much for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

June

And so life aboard La Liberte was forever changed with the new Cruise Director’s presence. He was now a permanent employee with full access to all areas of the ship. Permitted to make his own free-time schedule now, which amazingly coincided with mine.

Just as he had declared, he started jogging in the mornings and going to the fitness center in the evening. Almost every morning, in the pre-dawn hour, we seemed to bump into each other on the jogging deck. The mornings were still cool enough before the sun rose so we were both clad in our work-issued T-shirt and sweatpants. Normally, I would say these clothes are baggy and uninspired but this brat made them look like a well-tailored suit. Maybe because he was a few inches taller – not that I was really noticing or anything. And it also pissed me off to no end that the brat could easily keep up with me. I had trained hard my entire adult life and made sure I was in top physical shape. Jaeger could not have been at this for half as many years but effortlessly jogged by my side. Still, I started to look forward to my morning runs even more than my morning tea, which is saying a lot.

At first, I feared that Jaeger would want to talk my ear off while trying to jog and I would have to trip him up or something to get some peace. Fortunately for him after our initial greeting each morning, we were able to fall into a comfortable silence, our pounding feet matching the rhythm of our heartbeats. Tch- why does that sound like some sort of romantic crap? Anyway, it wasn’t until the evenings when we both just happened to be in the fitness center together that he would try to start a conversation. Usually just some small talk about the weather, or gratitude on how I had managed to find the only route to avoid any rain on the passengers’ deck party that he was hosting. It was never anything too personal or intrusive. 

What was indiscreet were the occasional, intense glances he gave me when I was stretched across one of the pieces of equipment, pushing the limits of my strength and perspiring slightly. I would catch a glimpse of him enraptured before he would look away quickly, leaving a tinge of rouge on his cheeks burning, lighting up the tiny sweat drops like diamonds. Unfortunately, I was powerless to express any of my usual sarcastic remarks since I was guilty of doing the exact same thing. Minus the school-girl blushing, of course. I refused to admit it to myself, but there was just something magnetic about this kid- not sure if it was those eyes, that sexy body or the warm, inviting personality so different from my own. Why me? After all of these years of focusing solely on my career why did he have to come waltzing in like the perfect specimen he is. If I pretended that I didn’t notice his not so subtle interest, he’d get bored before long, correct? And if I continued to squash down those unfamiliar and unwelcome feelings of mine, they would eventually go away, right? 

Apart from exercise time. our daily jobs kept us both quite busy and interaction together was occasional except for the pre-debarkation meetings. Once the cruise actually started, I was tasked with getting everyone to our destinations safely and comfortably. Jaeger’s main focus, on the other hand was to make sure the passengers were engaged and happy, participating in all sorts of activities. The only one of which I had to attend along with all of the officers would be the Captain’s Gala held for the passengers during each cruise. So I would get see the brat on the job about halfway through the cruise. Most guests enjoyed mingling with the officers for some unknown reason and I have posed for so many family pictures I am surprised my half-smirk hasn’t broken over the years. At least when wearing my dress whites, I could wear my white gloves for those that insisted on shaking my hand while getting inebriated on the complimentary cocktails. I noticed that the brat never wore his gloves and he always had the longest line of guests wanting to speak with him. Some of them got way too touchy-feely for my comfort and I remember getting really pissed off when a larger, older woman damn near threw herself at him, feigning lightheadedness. Before she could grope too much, I shoved Hanji, our ship’s doctor over that way to drag the woman off to the infirmary to check for illness. In return, I was rewarded with one of the brat’s blazing smiles and a wink in return. Hmm, maybe there was an illness going around, I suddenly felt flush and dizzy myself. It took me a few minutes to recover from that one, the guest in front of me clicking at me in annoyance, bringing me back to the endless empty comments I was forced to make to keep the customer’s happy. Of course, the brat didn’t miss a beat, flitting back and forth among the passengers like a hummingbird, spreading his infectious joy as he went. I was glad this reception never lasted too long. Guess the Survey Corps Corporation didn’t want to drop too much money on free drinks when they wanted to encourage spending on the top shelf stuff.

Another evening where the Captain’s gala proved to be interesting; Jaeger had just announced the end of the reception and requested that everyone file into the main dining room for dinner. This had to be one of my favorite perks of the job. The Captain’s Gala dinner was always a decadent and delicious affair. Fine china, elegant linens, breathtaking crystal chandeliers and sumptuous foods from around the world. I wondered if the brat even had the maturity to appreciate all of it. Unlike me, he always seemed just as happy with the slop we all got in the crew dining facility every other night, as he did with this 5-star experience. So of course I relished the one perfect meal I could get during the length of a cruise. Being French, I took my food seriously and savored every nuance and I could always tell when Jaeger’s eyes would be on me while I was particularly enthralled with a certain dish as I reveled in it. Maybe I did get a little bit too carried away but the sensuous look I received from the brat made it all that more sweet and fulfilling. After all, he deserved it after I had to endure watching him enjoy a bowlful of fresh strawberries and cream that weren’t even on the menu that evening but the chef had made it up personally for the cruise director. That jerk knew he was putting on a show as he ate them, slightly staining full lips with the juicy fruit and tiny gasps of joy with each spoonful of cream. I almost had to excuse myself from the table. Thank goodness no one else but stupid horseface Kirschstein seemed to be paying attention and I finally willed myself to calm down after downing my entire glass of ice water. Of course then I had a slight headache from the shocking cold drink and the sneer that Kirschstein had the nerve to give me, but it was better than the alternative. Stupid brat and his plump strawberry lips.

And so this schedule continued on through June and before we knew it, July was upon us with a sweltering vengeance. The jogging continued of course, but the sweatpants were replaced by shorts and I swear Jaeger’s got shorter every day. Summer also meant excursions with the passengers that involved beach days. I enjoy the beach on occasion, in moderation, especially the French Riviera where it was rocky rather than sandy. Nobody likes sand- it is the scourge of the earth- gets fucking everywhere, feels awful and you can’t get rid of it no matter how hard you try. But Jaeger seemed to flourish on the beach nonetheless with or without sand- his skin started to glow like fine bronze and his hair got just a shade lighter, going from bittersweet to milk chocolate. He set up all kinds of activities for the passengers from lazing about in cabanas to diving, snorkeling and scuba. And if the female clientele flocked around him when he was in his dress whites for the Captain’s Gala, they revolved around him like he was the sun when in his uniform T-shirt and shorts. I found myself quite often needing his assistance for random, mundane tasks on these days to free him of the offensive, orbiting satellites, leaving them to deal with all of the other entertainment coordinators instead.

I’m sure after the tenth or so time I pulled him away, he most likely started to figure out that I really could have handled these things by myself but he never let on. Quite the opposite actually, he grew more and more eager with each new pitiful odd job I assigned to him. I didn’t think he could become more endearing but dammit this brat was pushing every limit of my self control. It was becoming more difficult to resist his charms every day. He was a hard worker, meticulous in everything he did and had such a great ass, as I found out one morning when I purposely lagged behind for just a few moments during our morning jog, his short shorts accentuating every inch of him. I didn’t even mind that mess of hair on his head anymore- I guess it added to his charm.

Since these spur of the moment odd jobs didn’t involve much time. Jaeger and I started to engage in more in-depth conversations. We chatted about frivolous things sometimes, like how conceited some of the wealthier passengers were and how some were such slobs, leaving their plates and glasses around all over the ship like it was their personal place to clutter. I could definitely complain about that too, as I hated slovenly people- thank goodness, our fleet boasted one of the best housekeeping crews around. But soon we spoke about our favorite foods, colors books, you name it. Just basic preferences but it was nice to share that information with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait and shorter chapter. Hope it was ok anyway and I'll try to have the next one out sooner if I can. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

As July started to head into August, our conversations got longer and subjects more personal, until I found myself shocked one day asking the brat why he had started working for Survey Corps Cruises. It just sort of slipped out, I never tried to be intrusive with my employees’ personal lives, but we had become very comfortable with each other and I guess subconsciously I was fed up with trying to find information about Jaeger covertly. My curiosity had reached its peak due to the little tidbits we had been feeding each other and I had to admit I was relieved that instead of looking shocked and taken aback, he smiled gently and started telling me bits and pieces of his career life. I listened with rapt attention at facts I hadn’t known I was so keen to hear.

Seemed the cruise director started working for the Survey Corps five years ago on the ship L’Etoile as a humble waiter. He didn’t really have a lot of work experience so it was the one of the few things he was qualified for. It was around the same time that La Liberte had been brought into the fleet and that was the ship he really wanted to work on. However only experienced workers were moved over to the brand new star ship of the fleet, so he had settled for L’Etoile. In just five years, this brat worked so hard and was so successful in what he did, he went from Assistant to Head Server in just 3 years and then as soon as the Cruise Director position opened up on La Liberte, he jumped at the chance to apply for the position. When Erwin disclosed that he had handpicked Jaeger for the position, I knew the kid had to be something special. The Commodore had said I would soon appreciate the effort and positive spirit that Eren would bring and that prediction had come true. He was always willing to volunteer for extra tasks, he worked and played hard and I had come to rely on him for his work skills and also for his companionship. 

Every morning, I still looked forward to our jog- not just for the heavenly view but also for cheerful vibe the brat exuded. In the evenings, our workout sessions got more intense as we challenged each other to exceed previously set goals. He inspired me to excel where I thought I had already been content. I started to feel genuinely happy for the first time in who knows how long. That little shining star had had the audacity to plant a tiny spark in me while I wasn’t looking- a glimmer of hope that our feelings were expanding beyond the professional and into the intimately personal. My mind clearly told me that this was unacceptable and I just had to extinguish the miniscule flames or at least bury them deeply where they couldn’t be touched or seen anymore. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Or so I thought. Who the fuck knew that if I left those tiny embers unattended, they would eventually burst into a full-blown inferno no matter how deep I buried them. It was a slow burning process- one I barely recognized so it was no wonder that it took me completely by surprise when it finally happened. Little things like Officer Kirschstein constantly tagging along and giving the brat subtle touches that may or may not have been innocent enough would annoy me suddenly. The myriad of passengers that flirted with the cruise director shamelessly acted as bellows, providing the occasional gust to encourage those little sparks to grow. But it was like a Napalm bomb had exploded within my heart and head when I walked down the hall of the officer’s quarters one evening and saw Eren hug and kiss Mikasa Ackerman on the cheek while uttering four foreign words never before directed at me and never once uttered forth from my own mouth. 

It started out innocently enough as I happened upon the two of them but decided to hang back to let them say their farewells undisturbed.

 

“I need to go exercise,” the brat said to the hotel director before embracing her quickly and giving her a peck on her cheek.

Ackerman replied with a quick, “Good night Eren. Love you.”

And then my world turned red and the heat threatened to burn me alive as he said it back. “I love you too.” 

Ackerman quickly went inside her room for the evening. Eren turned to walk down the hallway to the fitness center, facing my direction of course. I was trapped like a deer in headlights except these were turquoise blue and my heart leapt into my throat so fast I couldn’t even breathe anymore, let alone speak. 

“Good evening Captain. Are you ok?” he asked. Couldn’t he see that I was in desperate need of a fire extinguisher and maybe a glass of water to wash my heart back down to where it belonged? I could only shake my head and do something cowardly I never thought I would. I took off running back down the hallway in full retreat. No idea where I was running to, I just had to get out of that hallway, sputtering like a fish out of water as I went. I could hear Jaeger start to give chase after me, calling out to me, “Captain! Hold on! What’s wrong?!”

The biggest drawback of fleeing blindly is that eventually you reach a dead end. Thank goodness I was not running for my life or my pursuer would have had an easy target. I quickly reached the aft of the ship and had nowhere else to go but to jump down into the infinite waters below. I was forced to stop and very soon thereafter felt a warm, strong hand on my shoulder, motioning me to turn around. I felt myself powerless to resist and turned to face those beautiful, mysterious eyes I had somehow come to fall for, whatever the hell color they were.

“Captain Levi, why did you run and why are you crying?”

Crying...was I crying? I never fucking cry. I wasn’t even aware I was doing it until I reached up and felt the wetness burning hot tracks on my cheeks and tasted the saltiness on my quivering lips. I still remained mute- unable to say a word. I really didn’t even consciously understand why I reacted like I did but the flames inside burned on. Even though my subconsciousness was trying its best to force me to admit feelings I was perfectly content with leaving buried, I was losing that battle the more concerned the brat looked in front of me and the more his hand on my shoulder began to spread additional warmth through me.

“Whatever is wrong, please tell me. I could never stand to see you like this, back then or now. At least now I can try to help you. I was just a powerless child then.”

That seemed to snap me out of my stupor. Back then…a child? The one whose eyes that Eren’s reminded me of. Could it be? I somehow found my voice again, “What do you mean, back then?” I asked although I was starting to put the pieces together.

“Let’s get you back to your quarters, Sir – we are in an open corridor. Then, I’ll answer that question and hopefully you’ll tell me what happened to upset you like that.”

I felt myself being guided back along the corridor I just came from by warm, strong hands, unable to see clearly through the cursed tears in my eyes. I wasn’t even aware that I was capable of creating such a river-flow, it was embarrassing but refreshing at the same time, knowing that it was somehow possible for me to feel after trying so hard to forget how. The trip back to my room seemed to drag on forever despite not being far from where we were. When we finally reached the door, my hand was shaking so much, I couldn’t even retrieve my access badge from my front pants pocket. Add that to another embarrassing moment of the day, which got compounded onto even more when the brat decided to assist me by reaching in and grabbing it himself. So I was standing dumbfounded outside my door, a maelstrom of emotions consisting of burning jealousy, bitter embarrassment, heavy sadness and passionate arousal from the brief touch near my crotch.

The brat still didn’t seem to notice that I was in danger of spontaneous combustion at any moment and gave me a slight nudge into my quarters. The adrenaline that had led to my sprint right into a dead end had now dissipated and I collapsed onto my couch under the weight of my cluster of feelings. Eren shut the door behind me and sat next to me on the couch.

“Captain, can I get you some tea or water or something?” Eren asked.

“No thank you, I’m sorry Jaeger. I’ll be fine. You don’t have to stay.” I whispered.

“Bullshit. You obviously aren’t fine but I won’t pry if you don’t want to tell me what’s wrong. But I will answer your question. Hopefully it will explain why I am worried about you.” He then pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the wet trails from my eyes to my chin as he began telling me the story of how we had met before. I’m just grateful that I was already sitting down and regretted that I declined the offer for tea. I could have used its calming effects since that tempest brewing inside me only increased in intensity as he told the tale and I started to recall the details as he spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor babies- I hate torturing them but it's part of the story. Sorry for the cliffhanger but I had to end the chapter before I went on way too long. Hope you are enjoying! Thanks as always for the wonderful comments and kudos!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, I am posting this a little sooner than my normal update time due to the cliffhanger. Enjoy and thanks so much for the kudos and encouragement.

Chapter 6

His words brought me back to a place I had tried to forget and almost had. Remembering now, a color so vivid, I’m embarrassed to admit I had forgotten.

When I first saw Eren aboard my ship, I thought his eyes were so unique- having only seen that color once before. The details of that person were sketchy at best, but now Eren had filled in the missing pieces of my memories. They belonged to a teen I had met many years ago while I was still in the French Navy. I was serving in Mali, assisting the locals with insurgents who were threatening to harm them if they did not hand over their land to these rebels. And right here in front of me, I have that same teen, now grown, reminding me of how we met and how we had both had a major impact on each others’ lives unknowingly. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t recognized him earlier but that was from a part of my life I tried to not recall very often. A lot of bad shit had happened back then.

He quietly and slowly tells me his side of the tale. “So my mom and dad and I were in Mali on a volunteer mission. My dad was an American doctor and was travelling around Africa to provide free immunizations to children who had no other means to get to a doctor. My mom was a nurse part time and the rest of the time, she homeschooled me. I had some issues with public school prior to that. I had a bit of a temper and got into fights frequently, so she thought it would be best for me to study at home.”

“Ha- you seem so sweet now, but who knew you were a little shit when you were younger. I never would have thought you were a hellion.” I teased him.

“I really wasn’t. Most of the fights were from me trying to protect some other kid from bullies. I hated to see anymore treated badly and at the time, the only thing I knew to do to help was to start a fight to get the bully away from the victim. I got beaten up pretty badly at first until I made it a point to start working out, so I guess there was one positive, long – term effect. I’ve been sure to keep in good shape since then.”

“I won’t argue with you there. You do have an excellent physique- almost as nice as mine- but then again, I did have years of military training where you did not.”

“True- that was when I first met you. in Mali when you were in the Navy. I was 15 and you were what?”

“I was 25. And that place was like hell on earth. I know your parents were trying to do a good deed. Dr. and Mrs. Jaeger had a reputation for being saints among the poor, but they never should have brought you there with them. Shit, they were good people and your parents really shouldn’t have been there either.”

“Yeah, I know I thought about that a lot too, since we know what happened but if no one would ever help those people, there would never be change. As I recall, you were only stationed there to keep the peace but I often saw you handing out food and water and little trinkets to the poorest in the city. You cared just like my parents. I came to respect you greatly for that. It was a side of you that I don’t think many get to see- you were gentle and kind while still keeping your air of authority.”

“Well, you know what all of those good intentions led to? Nothing but shit. Shit for you, your parents and myself, along with a few other members of my squad at the time.”

“I don’t see it that way. I am here because of you. When those insurgents attacked the makeshift hospital we were working in, you and your squad rushed in and saved lots of children’s lives. Myself included. You were amazing that day you saved my life. I will always be forever grateful to you for that.”

“I’m sure you still resent me somewhat for not being able to save your parents. For every person I saved, two were killed. It was a fucking bloodbath. We should have had guards stationed there at all times in case something like that happened.”

“You had no way of knowing, Captain. Who would think that there are heartless bastards in this world who would rush into a children’s clinic that was full of patients and start unloading rounds of semi-automatic bullets into them. My mom and dad were hit before I even knew what was happening. I was in the back getting more supplies when they attacked. I grabbed the only thing I could find- a scalpel and I just started hacking a few of the jerks from behind. I managed to surprise two and take them out but it was no match for their firepower. That’s when you came in with your squad and took them out. They had a gun pointed at my head and I thought it was over for me. You reached out to me after shooting the gunman that had me cornered and brought me to safety along with a group of the children. You were a hero that day. To me, you always will be.”

“I’m no hero, brat. I just did what any soldier would have done. Protected those that needed it. And we did a shitty job at that. Five children and four of my squad were killed that day in addition to your parents and two other nurses.” I put my head in my hands and tried to shake away the bloody images that started to resurface. I hadn’t thought about Mali in a long time and that was a blessing. I felt a warm strong hand on my shoulder again and I actually shivered at the touch, it brought me back from my memories along with his reassuring voice.

“What happened was a tragedy, Captain, but without you and your squad it would have been much worse. I know you took the losses hard. That is what I was talking about earlier. I was there at the memorial service for the soldiers- I was being flown back home the next day to live with my Uncle Hannes and my cousin. I heard the speech you gave- you were strong, proudly honoring their memories and sacrifice. I was moved by your words- touched deeply by your sentiments more than I had ever felt before. I could see the grief in your eyes and the heaviness on your shoulders. You could have easily skipped the memorial but you chose to attend and pay your respects in spite of the pain you carried with you. Only after everyone else had left, you placed one white rose at the memorial for each of the children and squad member. Then you were thankfully able to let some of that sorrow go as you wept silently. I wanted to approach you and comfort you somehow. Take away some of the sadness, no matter how little. I just wanted to remove some of the burden on your heart. But I was only an immature teen who had just been orphaned. I didn’t have a clue about how to help you. I had observed you for months and admired you greatly, but on that day, I got my first glimpse of you in your raw, unabashed state. I fell in love with you that day and have been chasing after you ever since. I joined the Peace Corps after I graduated high school so I could go overseas to see you again. I came to France where you had last been stationed, but you had already left the Navy. Then when I found out you had been made a captain of a cruise ship, I knew it was chance to meet up with you again.”

I turned around to look at this man in the eyes and tried to convince myself that I hadn’t heard what I thought I heard. “What are you saying?” I asked since I had to be certain I had not been hallucinating. Hadn’t he just said those words to Mikasa Ackerman just a bit earlier today? Those words that had sent me into a blind, jealous tizzy.

“I am saying that I love you. I’ve loved you since I was 15 and I’ve spent those years doing anything I could just to see you again. You don’t know how happy I was the day I was hired for La Liberte and knew I’d be able to see you each day. So please tell me whatever it was that upset you so I can relieve you of some of your anguish. I couldn’t do anything then but now I have the power to help you in any way possible.”

Having to relive those memories again had triggered a few more silent tears to fall and now this guy that I briefly knew from twelve years ago was telling me that he has loved me all this time. This stupid brat who had come back into my life, spreading joy and stirring up feelings that were quite content lying dormant. The same jerk who was confessing to me right after kissing his girlfriend goodnight. There go those flames again as I play that scene out again in my head. 

“You have some nerve, Eren. How can you sit there and say you’ve loved me all this time and yet you just left your girlfriend after telling her the same thing. So what, you wanted a little something extra on the side? You couldn’t wait anymore? You’ve been here for four months and never said a word about any of this. I didn’t even know you were same kid from Mali.”

“I was afraid to tell you. And what girlfriend are you talking about? I’ve never even dated anyone because I just couldn’t bring myself to see anybody when I was so fixated on you.”

“Don’t play stupid with me, Jaeger. I saw you and Ackerman in the hallway before she went into her quarters. You know I can’t stand liars. I think you should just leave.” I couldn’t believe that he would have the nerve to make such a statement knowing that he was already in another relationship. I guess being so popular allowed him to have several lovers but I couldn’t stand to just be part of some stupid harem. This is why I don’t allow myself to have these feelings. How had this brat fucking wormed his way under my skin – only to be shattered by reality? I tried to push him to get up but he wouldn’t budge.

“No, I won’t just leave- I don’t know what you saw, but Mikasa is not my girlfriend. I would never lie about having these feelings for you. I know how it feels to hurt-I’ve lived with a deep loneliness in my heart for so long not being able to see you and realizing you probably had not a single thought of me once I left Mali. And I've never stopped missing my parents- I've coped but their death caused a permanent void in my life.”

“ I lost both my parents way too young too but that's no excuse. So, you just randomly tell your co-workers that you love them and kiss them, right? and then go tell your boss that you love him too? Was I fucking born yesterday?”

“What are you going on about? Mikasa is my cousin. Remember my Uncle Hannes that I went back to live with? She is his daughter. We were always very close- she even helped me get my first job on L’Etoile.” His eyes then grew wider than they already were, “Wait, you saw me saying good night to her? That’s when you took off running down the hall. Does that mean you were jealous?”

I didn’t reply. I couldn’t even think. Mikasa was his cousin? Now that I thought about it, it was simply a platonic kiss on the cheek, not the heated kiss of a lover. I had just jumped to that conclusion and my little heart just went with it. I had indeed been jealous, but could I admit that to this shitty brat in front of me? What the fuck was I going to say now?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I couldn't say a thing.

“Captain? Please look at me. Were you jealous in even the tiniest bit? I need to know. I’ve waited for twelve long years to hopefully be worthy of you. It’s taken me this long to confess my feelings, hoping maybe you could one day feel the same.”

“Jaeger..I.. I can’t. We can’t.” I was so torn, now even more so than before. Here, right in front of me was the man I had an instant, deep attraction to, which lead to extreme respect, and dammit, that had led to certain other feelings. Ones I was refusing to consciously admit to. Feelings I never even knew I was capable of. What I had desired for months now was within my reach- I only had to step forward and take what I wanted. Give him what he wants too. But he was my subordinate. I didn’t really think about the consequences before now since I always thought what I had felt was one sided- that the brat had merely had an authority complex of some sort. That and he was just extremely personable and a shameless flirt. Now the object of my desire is saying everything I could possibly want to hear. I yearned to give in; to get washed away in happiness and pleasure and to replace the pout that had appeared on Jaeger’s face with a smile. But I was just too afraid to plunge into unfamiliar waters.

“Why can’t we? If you reciprocate my feelings, then what is wrong?” His hand reached out and touched my cheek and I thought I would melt into a puddle of goo. But I had to remain steadfast. I couldn’t cave in and succumb to what I wanted but couldn’t have.

“There is no way you could be truly interested in grumpy, anti-social, work-a-holic me. That and we can’t because you are my direct subordinate. It is against the Survey Corps’ rules to be in an amorous relationship. We’ve both worked damned hard to get where we are and I won’t jeopardize either of our careers.” He finally dropped his hand and that spot on my cheek continued to burn with his warmth.

“You know I am all for following the rules, Captain, but when it comes to our lives, I think happiness and love should come first. If you can tell me that there is even a sliver of hope that you might feel something for me, I would quit this job in a heartbeat.” He said this with such earnest that I knew he was completely serious. I could not and would not let him just give up on his position with the company that quickly. What if we attempted a relationship and found that it wouldn’t work out a short time later. He would regret that for the rest of his life and probably come to resent me forever as well. 

“I think it would be best for you to leave my room now, Jaeger. This isn’t going to go any further. You’ll wake up tomorrow relieved that you didn’t make any foolish, rash decisions based on your emotions. You’re young, personable and incredibly handsome-There are always tons of people vying for your attention. I’m sure you’ll find someone as wonderful as you and be happy with that person for the rest of your lives. Now, please, I want to be alone.” I walked over to the door and opened it as I gestured for him to follow. At the threshold, he turned back around to face me. “ Please Levi…., “ he uttered my name and looking at the puppy-dog eyes he confronted me with was enough to unglue me completely. It took the last bit of strength I had left to give him a small nudge out the door as I slammed it quickly behind him. “Goodnight, Eren,” I said quietly as I locked the door, turned around and slumped down to the ground, the sound of my name on his lips haunting my thoughts. 

I put my head in my hands and felt the sorrow rock through me, as the tears flowed freely once again. Dammit, I really fucking hated these feelings. Why did that brat have to waltz in here with his stupid, perfect self and make me fall in love with him. And then to have the audacity to tell me that he has had some ridiculous crush on me for over twelve, fucking years. Who the hell does that shit? I just can’t believe this. Why do I have to feel this way about one of the few people in the world I can’t be with? I guess that’s just my lot in life. First my parents die when I am only 18, no one has ever wanted to go out with me before and now this brat actually does and we can't be together. Just one big fuck you my entire life. I guess I was meant to be alone forever. I could only just sit there and try to cry out my feelings.

I don’t even know how long I sat there by my door in a crumpled pile, sobbing and the pain so harsh I wanted to die. I guess I cried myself to sleep eventually as my alarm was waking me up the next morning. I was all stiff and crampy from spending the night on the floor- grateful I kept my quarters immaculately clean but still sore nonetheless. I got up and headed to the bathroom to get as ready as possible to face the day. Funny how yesterday morning I had woken up and expected the day to proceed like all of the others. Instead my entire world was spun upside-down. I was forced to acknowledge I actually had true and deep feelings for a certain brat when I saw him with Ackerman, then he confessed his longtime feelings for me. I was ecstatic for an entire minute but then could do nothing but reject him thanks to the shitty circumstances of our lives. What a mess. I looked in the mirror and barely recognized the pitiful sap staring back at me.

So for the first time since I took the helm of this ship, I dreaded leaving my room to start the day. As my further bad luck would have it, it was a disembarkation/embarkation day, which of course meant an officer’s meeting. I would have to pretend that nothing was bothering me being in the same proximity as the person who had caused my current state of emotional meltdown.

After getting dressed, I walked down to the cafeteria to grab some tea. I sure as hell wasn’t hungry and didn’t even want to try to force solid food on my stomach that was churning topsy-turvy. Jaeger was nowhere in sight so I thought that maybe my luck was changing but then I spotted the ship’s physician Hanji heading towards me. “Captain! Good morning! Wow- you look awful.”

Leave it to Hanji to make someone feel better when they are down. She was a brilliant person and dependable doctor; however, her people skills left a lot to be desired.

“Good morning, Doctor,” I mumbled in reply hoping she wouldn’t get more animated than she already was despite the early hour.

“I think there might be some sort of bug going around, Captain. You look as bad as Eren Jaeger. I saw him last night wandering the crew halls and his eyes were all puffy and red like yours and that ever-present smile of his was nowhere to be found. I asked him if he was feeling ill and he said he would be ok. I walked him back to his room just to be safe and Jean wrapped his arms around him and said he’d take care of him, so hopefully he’s alright this morning.”

“Jaeger was looking sick?”

“Yeah- something was definitely wrong but he wouldn’t admit anything. You men are always afraid to speak up about not feeling well until you are on your deathbed, I swear. I’m sure Jean will pamper him; he’s always all over Eren, trying to gain his favor or get into his pants- one or the other.”

“Huh, what do you mean? All over him?” The thought of that horseface touching Jaeger started my blood boiling again and I had to start sipping my tea slowly to keep me from freaking out.

“You haven’t noticed? Jean is not a subtle person when he is on the prowl for a new lover. He’s been trying to get Eren to agree to get together with him ever since he started in April. Follows Eren around like his shadow.”

“I’ve never seen Jean act like that and I am with Eren a lot. They were together often when he first started but being roommates, I just figured Jean was showing him around.”

“Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen it as often most recently. You may have never seen it since Jean would never attempt anything like that with you around, Captain. He knows you would never stand for his overt flirting. And I have discovered that Jaeger has been spending more and more time with you lately. I guess that’s why you are both coming down with the same illness.”

“It’s not a physical sickness that I have Hanji. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready for the meeting soon.”

“Ohhhhh Hoooo, really? Care to share the juicy details? I did take a bunch of Psychology courses while in Med school, you know?”

“I’d rather not go into it, Hanji.” I grabbed my mug of tea and started to head off to face my duties for the day.

“Levi, seriously, I just want to let you know you can come to me anytime if you want to discuss what’s going on. I know you are the Captain and feel you need to shoulder all responsibility yourself but sometimes you need to just let it all out. It may not be obvious to everyone but for the few of us who have eyes to see know that you and Eren have certain feelings for each other. If you don’t want to talk to me about it, then please just let me tell you this. Sometimes, you only get one chance at things like love and if you don’t take it , then Jean is more than willing to be Eren’s shoulder to lean on.”

I stood there in the cafeteria paralyzed in shock trying to digest the words Hanji had just uttered for at least fifteen minutes before I realized she had left and that I also needed to get to tasks for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry- please don't hate me....I just don't see things being that easy for these 2. There will be plenty of fluff and sexy times ahead, I promise they will get there soon. Hope you enjoyed and thanks so much for continuing to stick with this little story of mine.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Normally, I would be the first one in the meeting room, but it took every ounce of willpower I had to get there on time today. I’m not one to run away from confrontation, but I felt as if my entire world had been slipped out from beneath my feet. I had no prior experience with this and it wasn’t anything I could fight physically or just ignore like it didn’t exist. How I wished I could go back to being totally oblivious- it was so much easier to deal with fantasies that seemed unobtainable. Who knew that even with my wretched life, a dream could come true.

That dream that was now sitting right in front of me. He still had the audacity to look up at me every few moments, but as Hanji had said, his eyes were as red and puffy as my own and didn’t have their normal luster and sparkle. The tension in the room between us was awkward, but at least with our professionalism, it was palpable between just us two, with the exception of Hanji who had some sort of sixth sense about this stuff. Maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to speak with her about this following the meeting, after all. Maybe she would be the voice of reason I needed- a fellow officer who could back me up in my valid and logical reasons in not pursuing a relationship with an underling. Lord knew I had to get some of this off my chest before I was crushed under the weight of it. How this had all blindsided me so quickly was still a huge mystery but I needed some relief soon or I feared I wouldn’t be clear-headed enough to perform my duties as Captain. At least I didn’t have to face passengers personally today. Jaeger wasn’t so lucky so I could only hope he would be able to pull himself together as well. He managed some weak smiles and nods in the meeting so I was fairly confident he would have his shit together. 

I concluded our powwow earlier than normal and as everyone was filing out of the room, I asked Hanji to stay behind.

“So, changed your mind, huh Captain? After seeing him suffering as much as you, you want to talk about how to approach him and make up?”

“What? What are you saying crazy doctor?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “I just wanted to explain the situation to you so I could alleviate some guilt and shit.”

“Oh. Well Captain, I think I already know what the situation is. You just don’t want to admit to any of it to yourself, let alone Eren.”

“How could you possibly know any details, four-eyes? It’s not like I go around spouting love confessions and school-girl sentiments loosely. “

“I know you keep your feelings in check but ever since Eren has come aboard with us, we’ve seen a slight change in your normal behavior. You’re not so closed off emotionally and you actually smile every so often. So it’s pretty obvious you are into him to anyone who pays attention to your demeanor. On the other hand, Eren doesn’t have a subtle bone in his body and he’s tried his best to get close to you.”

“At first I wasn’t sure if he was only casually flirting or if he was interested in an actual relationship. Long story short, last night, I sort of flipped my shit when I saw him kiss Ackerman goodnight and then he proceeded to tell me that we had met before when he was a teenager and has been in love with me ever since.”

“That’s wonderful, so what the hell is your problem, then? Does he want to do a three-way with you and Ackerman?”

“Huh? What!?- No! Really, I don’t know how we ever hired such a crazy, perverted doctor.”

“Ha, ha, you know Admiral Erwin is my brother-in-law silly. Anyway, I seriously don’t see what the problem is. He loves you and you obviously have feelings for him or you wouldn’t have overreacted when you saw him with Mikasa, right?”

“My feelings don’t matter. You do realize that it is against corporate rules for me to have a personal relationship with one of my charges, correct?”

“Captain, are you telling me that you found someone who loves and cherishes you-someone willing to put up with your pickiness and over-cleanliness. And he’s been pining after you for years and you care about him but you’re worried about some stupid rule? You are the boss of this ship, surely you can amend the rules a little bit for a chance to be happy with someone?”

“I can’t just go around changing regulations to suit my whims. This is a corporate rule anyway. Only the Admiral can make this type of change.”

“Then, I’ll talk to my brother in law and see what he can do. You know he respects you as a Captain and cares for you as a friend? So I’m sure he can make some amendments on behalf of his most decorated officer.”

“I don’t know Hanji. It’s not right for me to bother my boss with personal issues like this.”

“Silly, I told you, I’ll talk to him on your behalf- that way it looks better and you can’t chicken out.”

“Fine, I give up. But I’ll be the first one to say ‘I told you so’ when he shoots down this idea.”

“Care to make a bet?”

“Are you friggin’ kidding me? You want to bet on my love life and deepest personal feelings? Now I regret ever telling you anything.”

“Nah, don’t be such a spoiled-sport, now get out there and tell Eren how you feel,” she said as she pushed me out of the conference room and into the hallway. I turn towards the crew quarters assuming that is where Eren would have headed after the meeting and a few doors down, Eren and Jean are about to enter their room. Jean put his arm around Eren as their door opened and I could feel my face flush red with jealousy once again. I took off running after them, unconsciously.

“Levi, wait!” I hear Hanji scream but I paid her no mind. I had one goal in mind and that was to get a certain horse’s hoofs off of my man.

I pull the door open and see Jean and Eren on the couch, Jean leaning over and attempting to kiss Eren on the lips. I instinctively lash out and grab Jean by the collar. “Get your dirty hands off of him,” I scream as I pull him up and off the couch. “What the hell, Captain!”

“You need to leave Kirschstein,” I yelled as I shove him physically out the door. “He’s mine and you can’t touch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for short chapter but it was needed to set up the next part. YAY! Finally some resolution heading this way.  
> Thanks so much for reading.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

“Captain? What the hell are you doing? You’ve been acting crazy these last few days. And what did you mean I am yours? Didn’t you just reject me last night?” Eren jumped up from his couch, confused about the scene he had just witnessed. We can both hear Jean protesting loudly out in the hallway but we paid him no mind.

“That’s my problem Jaeger. I don’t know what the hell I ‘m doing anymore. I can't even fathom what I am supposed to try to do. Ever since you came onboard, my life has been all turned inside out. You wedged yourself into my life ever so discreetly, I didn’t even know it was happening. It started off with just a slight impact like sharing my morning jog with you. I never tolerated anyone else to accompany me anywhere. And now, here I am flying into a jealous rage every time I see someone else getting close to you. Jean almost kissed you just now and I think I might have killed him if he succeeded. I’m all fucked up and the only thing I know for sure other than my duties as Captain is that I have fallen hopelessly in love with you.”

Eren looked at me, seeming to be even more stunned than before if that was even humanly possible. “So you are admitting that you were jealous yesterday? Why did you just play it off that you weren’t interested? I’ve always known you to be an honest person? Did you think my feelings weren’t sincere?”

“I knew you were telling me the truth. That was never the issue. Your face always shows your true feelings. I just was shocked to hear how you felt when you told me your story. I had all but forgotten that green-eyed teen I knew way back the. It had been so long ago and I was a man you hardly interacted with before. We met a few times in passing in Africa, but never truly got to know each other. I was there to protect and kill to keep that level of protection. You were then and still are, an earnest , good-hearted person. I never thought I’d see you again after that tragedy at the hospital. Shit, I’m amazed that you were able to live through that and keep your sanity and positive attitude. Then you just drop back into my life and I start having all of these emotions. Who would have thought you’d feel some sort of attraction towards me – at least not the same way I did. But then once you confessed, I felt like I had been backed up against a wall. I had no idea what I was supposed to do; what I was supposed to say. Where do we go from here? I have no experience with this sort of thing.”

“I’m sure you’ve had relationships before this. You’re handsome and strong, with an excellent position with the company. I can’t believe you don’t have an entourage of suitors fawning all over you.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, brat, I am not exactly the overly friendly type. Hell, most people don’t even find me approachable with my stern gazes and fuck-off attitude. I haven’t had much experience at all with any interpersonal relationships. I never wanted to. Who wants to open themselves up to all of that drama and pain? That and there was never time. In the Navy, I was always moving around from place to place and on this ship, I would never want a significant other to suffer living in a stateroom equivalent to a small apartment-almost always away from home, at sea. I know that won’t be an issue between us but to make this all the more complicated, I am your boss and ten years older than you. So you can see why I couldn’t just fall into your arms and kiss you with abandon, no matter how much I wanted to.“

“What changed your mind then? You were obviously against it due to the ship’s regulations but I was willing to give up my position if it meant you would give me a chance.”

“I would never ask you to do that- this is your life and career and that kind of sacrifice is foolish. But I spoke to someone who helped me work through my feelings and not just my thoughts. She helped me realize that this is my life and I have been stubborn and lonely for far too long. If we have a chance to be happy together, then I need to accept these feelings. For us and for what we could be. To react so violently to anyone even daring to come close to you or touch you, then I know just how deeply I have fallen. And if you have truly waited all of these years for me, then something was obviously meant to be. The other night, I was so overwhelmed but I could no longer deny wanting us to get together. And I sure as hell won’t lose you to Jean. We’ll need to figure something out work wise, but I am willing to give it a try, if you still want me after being a huge asshole that is.”

“Are you kidding? Didn’t you understand me when I was pouring my heart out to you? I would give up everything and anything to be with you. This job is great but it means nothing if I can’t be with you. I took this job just so I could be with you in any capacity possible.”

“If you can wait a week longer, we have a short, two- week long scheduled maintenance for the ship. We’ll be able to meet with Admiral Smith and discuss what the company would be willing to do in our case. And we can spend that time together at my townhome there, if you want? You won't have to get a hotel room and I can show you around the city.”

“For you being so smart, Captain, I would think you would already know that answer. I’ve waited this long for you. If you’d feel more comfortable waiting a week to speak to the Admiral in person, of course I have no objections. This is about the two of us. I sincerely feel we shouldn’t have to get him involved in our personal relationships, but I understand there are rules for a reason. I wouldn’t ever want to violate any company policies. As I said before, I would quit this job if it was the only way we could pursue a relationship together.”

“Cheeky brat, even if it meant scrubbing toilets or something? You’d have to disinfect yourself every night before I would even allow you to come near me.”

“Silly captain, if it would allow me to come back to you every night, I would gladly shower with bleach and a scrub brush.”

“I think that would be horrible for your skin- you’d be all dry and rough.”

“I’d just use plenty of lotion and of course a gallon of mouthwash so I could always be fresh for this.”

I don’t know why I didn’t see this coming but just as he finished that last sentence, I felt him pull me close to him- his workouts have really kept him strong as he did this in one swift motion and I was instantly pressed against his warm body. He took his other hand and lifted my face up towards him by my chin. As I blinked in disbelief and looked back into those eyes, I felt myself drowning as his lips brushed mine gently in a soft kiss. Our first kiss. As I tried to recover from the shock of what had just happened, he took advantage of my stunned state and leaned in for our second kiss, this one still soft but much more demanding. Before I knew it, my hands were behind his head, fingers through his chocolate locks and leaning into him in firmly so I could taste him more fully. I gasped at the sweetness and he took that opportunity to enter my mouth with his tongue. The intensity and appeal of his unique taste continued to increase as we kissed each other senseless. I can honestly say I have no idea how long we continued like that and we may have never stopped had it not been for the slight knocking sound on the door.

“Ah, Captain sir? Can I please come back in and get my uniform jacket? I have to be on deck in ten minutes so we can prepare to set sail.”

“Fucking Kirschstein,” I muttered under my breath as I was forced to break away from Eren and return to reality. “Just a minute, jerkface.”

“Alright brat, we have to get back to work for now. We’ll continue this another time after we’ve had a chance to speak to the Admiral. Until then, we need to keep this among ourselves."

“Of course, Captain. I know how to be discreet.”

“Good. Now let Kirschstein back in so I can put the fear of Rivaille in him. We can’t have horseface spreading rumors around about us, now can we?”

“No sir!” 

After fifteen minutes of making things clear with my 3rd Officer, we left the room and headed off to our stations preparing to set sail for our last cruise before our short break. I felt lightheaded and slightly anxious. A week was a relatively short period of time but also like an eternity at the same time. On the one hand, I was full of hope that a viable solution could be found where Eren and I could be together without guilt of breaking rules and stress of keeping it secret. On the other hand, I was still nervous. I had no idea what being in a relationship actually entailed. What if I fucked it all up? If I did, I might not even know what I did to mess it up in the first place, let alone what remedies I could take to try to mend it back together. Maybe Jaeger would know- he seemed much more in tune with feelings than me; however, he admitted himself that he hasn’t had any other previous relationships either. We’ll both be going in blind and this scared the shit out of me, deep down. But all of that hesitation and uncertainty did nothing to quell the fire building inside- the one that Jaeger had the fuel for, scorching me from the inside out. Yeah it was going to be one hell of a week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really sure if I like how this chapter turned out. I tried to keep them in character but don't think I did the best job. I redid it a few times so just going to leave it alone now. Hope you enjoyed it as much as possible. Thanks so much for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

All week long, I had to deal with sideway glances from Hanji, mocking me with her “I told you so” expressions. Then on top of that, I had to suffer through a flustered Jean doing an about face and heading the other direction every time I got near him. It was almost comical to see that there was a slight trace of fear in his eyes now after our little talk. I certainly demanded respect from my officers but it was a little disconcerting to see that he was afraid of me. Did he actually think I was going to physically attack him if he touched Eren again? I actually asked Eren on Wednesday if Jean was acting strangely towards him too since they were roommates. I would have felt awful if I had caused any tension there, so I needed to put my conscience at ease. Eren said they were getting along as well as before- Jean had just realized that there was no chance now of their relationship going any further than roommates. Jean had mentioned that he would be sure not to give me any reason to lash out and had promised not to tell a soul about us. Eren explained that the look I had in my eyes that day was enough to turn the bravest man to stone, so he was confident our secret was safe. Hopefully Jean would soon get over his newfound fear of me and get back to normal interactions.

I was mostly afraid things would be strange between Eren and myself during the week. We had finally admitted our feelings to each other and it had felt surreal to finally kiss him. I craved so much more but we both had agreed to wait until we had discussed the situation with the Admiral- though I realized that very few adults have to ask permission from their employer to go out together. It was ridiculous to think we had to get a blessing from someone to sanction the road we were about to embark on. I think we were both anxious to move forward but felt forced to refrain. It was torture being so close yet so far but he didn’t miss a beat when it came to getting his job done with no distractions. I daresay he was doing a better job than I was, having found myself daydreaming or staring at Eren’s fine ass on more than one occasion that week.

Deep down I had to agree with Eren that we really shouldn't have to discuss our personal lives with Admiral Smith; however, I didn't want to risk pursuing a relationship and then being reprimanded for it later on. I was still clueless as to what being in a relationship even entailed, but I wanted to remove at least one hurdle along that road. I was sure to fuck up enough along the way without added issues. Also, considering Eren was an inexperienced brat to boot, we were sure to have issues at some point or another. Trouble was inevitable. But I guess it meant more to me than I had originally thought since here I was ready to do anything to ensure we got off on the right foot. I really did not want to take any chances- so much for being the brave and fearless captain. 

So after a week of fretting and vacillating, it was finally time for the two of us to speak to the Admiral. When we docked in our home port of Cannes, I told Eren to meet me by the taxi stand at the port with his luggage. We would take a cab to the corporate headquarters and then meet with the Admiral. before heading back to my townhome a few miles away. Erwin would most likely want to talk over lunch but I wasn't sure if I would even be able to think about food, my stomach already doing flip flops. If I wasn't already in enough of a flustered state, Eren suddenly appeared next to me, a sight that caused my poor heart to join my stomach in its acrobatics. I've never seen Eren in his normal, casual attire other than his scandalous workout outfits. So when he appeared before me in a tight T-shirt that clung to his every muscle and a pair of form fitting jeans that accentuated every curve of his lower body, I was totally transfixed. This brat was surely going to be the death of me. 

"Good morning Captain. How long will it take to get to the Survey Corps Headquarters from here?"

"It's not far, just about 30 minutes or so." I barely squeaked out, still recovering from the sight before me.

We placed our bags in the trunk, got into the cab, and a very short twenty minutes later, Eren and I were in front of the secretary's desk waiting for the Admiral to come get us. Eren seemed in awe by the extravagant but tasteful furnishings. I had been here before so it was nothing new to me and having worked on nothing but luxury liners, I was not as easily impressed as the young cruise director.

"This place is amazing," Eren whispered to me when the secretary walked away to get the Admiral in person. 

"It’s ok."

"Ok? How can you say that? They have fine crystal and leather everywhere. Not to mention the artwork. Is that a real Renoir?"

He was so adorable when he was transfixed by something. Unlike myself who probably looked like a fish gasping when I saw him in all of sexy glory earlier today. 

“I doubt it’s an original painting- almost positive that it’s a copy. We don’t have that kind of money for sure.”

While Eren was still admiring the artwork, Erwin entered the room to join us for our little chat.

“Levi, Eren, it’s wonderful to see you again so soon.”

“Thank you Admiral,” we both replied.

“Please call me Erwin- you two aren’t on duty right now.”

“Erwin, please, we just want to get this over with.” I rolled my eyes and gave him a bored look.

“Oh, impatient are we, Levi? How unlike you. So what brings you two here for this little chat? It seemed pretty important and even Hanji called me to say that I needed to listen to what you two had to say. I promised her I would do my best. But I have to admit I am intrigued. Did you two get into some sort of trouble- some illegal betting in the casino, or maybe you threw the last food inspector overboard, hmm?”

“Seriously Erwin? What the hell are with those accusations?” Eren just looked concerned and mildly confused and the admiral just started to laugh.

“Just kidding of course. I know neither of you would attempt anything like that. Obviously it’s important since you thought it needed my attention.”

“Che! Of course we would never do anything to disgrace the name of your company. What we came to discuss was the Survey Corps rules involving personal relationships onboard. Eren and I wish to see each other romantically but we are aware the rules do not allow for this among a boss and subordinate.”

“Oh? That’s quite a surprise. So you haven’t done anything so far? Most people just do it and then worry about the consequences later on or one of the two will quit their job. Seems the majority just don’t feel it is worth being fired for if they are discovered.”

“We would prefer neither of us lose our jobs, thank you very much.”

“Levi, I have to admit I am a bit shocked. For years, my wife and I have been urging you to meet with a few of our friends and you’ve never seemed the least bit interested in them or anyone else for that matter. Why all of a sudden does it need to be Eren, who is a directly under your command?”

“Well sir, if you must be so nosy, you can’t just arrange in advance who you are going to fall in love with.” I countered.

“Whoa-touche. So this is not just wanting to date each other, you are telling me that the two of you are already in love? This is a bit sudden for you, Levi to say the least. I’m very happy for you as a friend, but it's still shocking. But you are aware why I made that a rule in my company, correct Levi?”

“Yes, I am fully aware that you wish to avoid preferential treatment and avoid any possibly embarrassing situations in front of guests.”

“Correct- and of course one of the most important points of that rule is to ensure that you as Captain, always maintain a calm and level head in case of emergencies. Having your lover on board could cause you to be slack in your duties or obscure your objectiveness to supervise Eren.”

“I would never allow special treatment from Levi,” Eren announced in an authoritative tone and Levi looked at him stunned. He had remained quiet and reserved for the beginning of the conversation. “I will quit my job if necessary.”

“Eren! No one wants you to quit your job. That’s why we came to discuss this. Erwin, I am seriously disappointed in you- thinking I would ever lose my judgment as Captain. The safety and well being of the ship and all of its passengers and crew are always my first priority. I am completely aware that Eren is fully capable of handling himself and those under him. Should an emergency ever arise, I am confident in both of us to perform our duties to the fullest.”

“If I allow this Levi, that wouldn’t be fair to the other employees who have to abide by the same rule. If someone wished to challenge my previous decisions legally it could be bothersome.”

“Really? And no exceptions have ever been made? How many times have you ever had to make a ruling on a situation like this? I can’t imagine many.”

“You are correct in that assessment; it has only happened twice before and the parties involved left the company not long afterwards.”

“So, you see- that is a moot point. Are there no special considerations you could allow for?”

“How are you even so sure this thing you have will last- won’t it be a ton of bother for something that may be short-lived?”

I could sense Eren’s anger flare up at these words. I know he did not want to disrespect our superior but it wasn’t in his nature to stay quiet. “It’s really not any of your business but if you knew the situation, you would realize that we are both very sincere.”

It’s a good thing that the Admiral and I are friends outside of work, so we can speak honestly without fear of getting fired. “Erwin, now you have really insulted us. When have I ever been less than 100 percent serious in anything? And didn’t you tell me yourself that Eren was the most honest and industrious worker you had seen in a long time. We wouldn’t be here before you if this was a passing fling. The bare facts are this: we both have strong feelings for each other and we both want to keep the jobs we worked so hard to obtain, while being together.”

“If I could achieve that with no preferential treatment, I would. You know that Levi. I’ve been hoping for you to find that special someone for a long time. I just never expected it to be one your subordinates. If I were to allow this, other employees will see your example, and it will lead to all kinds of requests to change the rules. I honestly just can’t have that. However, seeing that you two are extremely sincere and some of my best employees, I can offer you this. I checked with human resources before you arrived here. Hanji did tell me what you wanted to speak about although she made me promise not to tell you. So much for that. Anyway, Eren, you used to work as a server, then head server correct?”

“Yes sir, you know I was working as a head server on L’Etoile when I applied for the Cruise Director position.”

“Would you be averse to going back to that position on La Liberte? One of the three head servers will be leaving in a few weeks. It would be a downgrade in position for you but at least it’s one you are already trained in. Then the Captain will not be your direct supervisor any longer.”

Eren immediately accepted the offer, despite my reluctance to have him do so. 

“Eren, you may want to think about that before rashly deciding.” I interjected. “Why would you want to take a step back in your career? Another promotion may not come along for a long time.”

“Levi, I’ve already made up my mind. I told you before, I would gladly give up my job and this is just a small downgrade. It is well worth it so we could be together.”  
“So Erwin, are you happy? Your stubbornness just lost you one of the best cruise directors you ever had? And to add insult to injury, you want us to wait a few more weeks. Do you enjoy torturing us?”

“Of course not. You are both off duty for two weeks, am I correct? That should give you two love birds plenty of time to get fully acquainted with each other, if you get my drift?”

I could only give him a dirty look after that comment and Eren actually blushed slightly at the implication.

“You’ll only have one week after that to wait for Eren to change positions. Surely it will be worth the wait.”

“Cheeky as always, Admiral. Fine. We’ll play by your rules.”

“Splendid. Now are you ready for some lunch?”

“No, I think I’ve changed my mind. Since as you said we only have two weeks and a ton a getting acquainted to do, I’ll be taking Eren back to my place so we can get started right away.”

“Eh?” Eren turned red all about the face at my statement as I grabbed him by the arm so we could make our exit back to the cab waiting for us outside.

“At least let me get some food to take with you. You haven’t been back to your house for months and I’m sure there is no food there. You’ll both need a meal to maintain your strength.” Erwin yelled after us but we didn’t turn around. 

We closed the cab door behind us and I told the driver we were ready to head over to my townhome. As soon as the cab was in motion, I turned to Eren and proceeded to make out passionately with him. I couldn’t care less what the hell the driver thought. Who needed food when I had the most delicious meal right in front of me, ready to be devoured and savored?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed. I am not sure if I captured Erwin properly in this chapter and was not 100 percent happy with it but that may be because I am so looking forward to the next chapter. Thanks to everyone who has read this far!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The fifteen-minute drive to my place was over in the blink of an eye and I barely remembered to get our luggage out of the trunk of the cab. I’m not usually rude but I all but threw the cab fare and tip to the driver, leaving him in a stunned silence. I then dragged Eren and our luggage to my front door, leaving the confused and most likely pissed off driver to think about the show we had given him. 

“Keys? Where are my fucking keys?” I asked out loud.

“In your pocket. I felt them when we were grinding against each other in the cab.” Eren answered with a huge smirk.

I rolled my eyes and retrieved the keys from my pocket. I opened the door and dropped the luggage right there in the foyer. All I could focus on was one thing. Or rather one person. Eren wasted no time taking the lead this time and grabbed me in a tight embrace the moment our bags hit the floor. He leaned down to my ear and spoke in the most shamefully sexy tone.

“What was it you said to Jean that day? That I was yours and he couldn’t touch?”

“Hmmm, yeah. I couldn’t bear to see the horseface touching you.”

“That was such a turn on. I was thrilled to hear that you thought I belonged to you. But in return, you have to promise to be mine- all mine. Every part of you.” He purred as he grabbed me by the ass and pulled me closer as his lips crashed over mine.

I could only nod in agreement as our kisses grew more heated and our hands wandered all over each other’s bodies. All of those impeccable muscles that I stared at for months were now flexing and reacting under my fingertips. It was intoxicating to feel and be felt as Eren traced over my body in the same exploratory way.   
He broke contact to kiss for just a moment and gazed at me from head to toe as if taking a picture with his eyes. “You are so perfect. I can’t believe we are actually here together like this. I love you so much.”

I was still far from being accustomed to hearing those words and they just stoked the fire already blazing inside of me even more. My reply just flowed from my mouth naturally even though I never thought those words would leave my lips, “I love you too.”

After that, I was totally swept away in emotions and sensations and I have no idea how the hell we made it up the stairs without breaking our necks on the smooth wood steps. The next thing I knew we had managed to make it to my bedroom and our clothing was disappearing piece by piece as if by magic. It was almost as if my brain had shut down completely and I was being led totally by instinct, fueled by my deep desire to consume and submit simultaneously. Eren’s tongue kept me guessing as it danced over every part of me, like chasing a fluttering dragonfly. The only evidence left behind being a small patch of moisture or the occasional, possessive mark when he added some teeth into the equation. I tried to match his pace and kept the momentum going until the two of us finally edged ourselves over to the bed and flung ourselves down onto it, landing with a slight bounce next to each other.

I can only guess my predatory instinct kicked in at this point as I found myself straddling Eren at the waist, our now painfully hard erections frolicking together in their own little dance trying to keep up the pace of our heated kissing. 

“Levi....so good,” I heard Eren whisper as I felt our positions change in the blink of an eye, now looking up at him rather than the other way around.

“A little aggressive are we?” I teased.

“Not really, just extremely impatient. Do you know how badly I have wanted to this for so long? To have you naked, in my arms, ravishing every inch of you?”

“Hmmm, I can surmise it was a long time. But don’t they say absence makes the heart grow fonder? Did you think of me on those lonely nights and first thing in the morning when you woke up hard?” For some reason, as if I was not aroused enough, the sudden thought of Eren pleasuring himself to mental images of me only added to the desire and need I was feeling.

“You were all I could ever think of since that day-all day, every day,” he smiled lovingly and began kissing my neck gently.

“I may not have known my feelings for as long as you brat, but I will admit that seeing you in the morning in those goddamn short shorts was enough to spur on many jerk off sessions in my shower,” I growled as he licked that sensitive spot behind my ear. In retaliation, I flipped him back over. I could see that the passionate charge between the two of us was going to lead to an all out battle for dominance. And for once I really didn’t give a fuck who would win since the loser and the victor would both enjoy the gameplay way too much to care.

I leaned down to kiss him once again on his plump lips and then marking him furiously on the neck. I then sat up again and couldn’t get enough of the delicious view underneath me. Scratch what I had just thought, I definitely needed to be in this position for our first time. I would not be deprived of seeing every wave of pleasure wash over his face and to be mesmerized by the inferno burning in his eyes. It mattered not if I gave or received, I just had to connect with him from this vantage point. 

I leaned over a little to reach my end table drawer. I knew I had some lube in there for those rare sessions when I couldn’t get my morning wood to dissipate on its own. As for condoms, I hadn’t bought any in years- never had any use for them, so I hoped Eren was ok with it this one time.

I pulled the tube out of the drawer and sat back up, looking back down at the beautiful sight underneath me. “You can’t believe how gorgeous you look when you are all turned on and needy. I’ve dreamed of doing this exact same thing over and over again, these last few months. You’ve turned me into some kind of pervert dreaming of you in all kinds of tantalizing positions.”

He sat up and caressed me behind my head and placing whispered kisses on my face and neck. “This is much better than any dream. Feeling every part of you under my hands; you’re so sexy. Experiencing all of these sensations for the first time- it’s a little overwhelming, especially when it’s with someone I love with all I have.”  
He continued on with his exploration of my body with his hands, lips and tongue as I opened up the lube. Then it hit me, I guess I am little slow being in the haze of passion, “This is your first time?”

“Yes, with another person of course. I told you before I had no interest in dating let alone sex with anyone when I was yearning for you. I promise that what I lack in experience I can make up for it in determination.”

“I’m confident of that, if it’s like every other thing you do, brat. You’re a fast learner- a fact I am more grateful for every day. And don’t worry, I have only had less than a handful of encounters myself. Which would explain the lack of condoms. If that’s not ok with you, there are plenty of other things we can do.”

“That’s fine with me. I know you are impeccably clean and I’m a virgin so we should be ok this time. Um…so it seems you like that position you are in now, but are you normally um, how to say it? Do you want to give it to me?” 

I couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at his innocent words and then he had to be even fucking cuter and start to blush. “I want to give my everything to you at full force- you look so fuckable. But I think for now, I want your first time to be pain free so you can always look back and remember it as a wonderful experience. So yeah, even though I prefer to be on top, for today, I want to gaze down at you while I ride your beautiful, ample dick.”

“Levi….your voice…it’s just too much when you talk like that.” Eren continued to blush but that didn’t stop him from taking the lube from my hand and squeezing some on his index and middle fingers. I could feel him reaching behind me and I moved my legs slightly further apart so he had easier access to my ass. He started with his smaller finger and nudged ever so gently as if I were a porcelain doll he was afraid to break. His touch was timid and insecure but felt amazing nonetheless. I rocked myself along with him and sped up the pace just a touch to let him know I was ok with him increasing the speed and depth. He caught on right away and his long, nimble finger hit all of the right spots. He added the second digit and allowed me a few moments to adjust. It was a short reprieve as he started a scissoring motion, opening me up much quicker than I expected since I had only bottomed one time prior to this. A few brushes against my prostate were all I needed to start dripping all down myself and also onto Eren as well. He was already at full attention and wet as well, but I grabbed the tube and proceeded to rub him gently up and down along his length so we were sure it would be as smooth as possible. When he was gasping and panting as hard as I was, he removed his fingers and I lined up his bountiful dick against me and started to lower myself down onto him, letting gravity assist with this wonderful task of filling me up with all of Eren. It seemed like an excruciatingly long process as it felt strange but oh so good at same time, only to get better once I could start moving. 

Eren took my brief pause in activity to sit up and claimed my lips in an all-encompassing kiss that fueled my passion. His tongue darting in and out of my mouth spurred on my hips and I find myself beginning to move. Slowly up and down, feeling his cock thrusting in and out like a wave crashing over us. He continued to keep our lips connected as the pace quickened and I was now almost jumping up and down on his cock, increasing the pleasure and impatient for the both of us to reach our ever building peak. The moans between us increased and soon we could no longer continue the kiss as we are both too far gone to do anything but concentrate on where we were connected to each other. His erection continued to claim me, hitting all of the right places causing white stars to race across my line of vision. Our hands holding onto each other for dear life, surely bruising each other as we moved. The faces of ecstasy he was making only enticed me more and I knew I wouldn’t be able to delay my climax for much longer with all of these pleasurable sensations. I could sense he was close too, as his words and moans became more frantic and less intelligible. 

Obviously discontent with me doing a lot of the motion, one quick upward thrust assaulted me dead on and I came with a vengeance all over Eren’s chest, crying out his name as I did so.

“Oh, Levi….you just tightened up so much…Ah, going to come,” he managed to scream out just as he began to fill me up, an odd but strangely comfortable warmth deep inside.

I sat up, so he could pull out and I almost collapsed right on top of him, sated and speechless. I felt his strong arms snake around and hug me close as I sensed his breathing slowly start to return to normal. 

“Levi, that was….it was…well there is no word to describe it, how’s that?” he muttered sleepily.

“I agree, it was indescribably amazing,” I replied as I kissed his lips gently.

“I love you so much Levi.” He whispered in my ear.

I grin back at him, returning the sentiment completely, “I love you too, head waiter.”

He laughed at that, “Hmm, speaking of food, we should have taken the Admiral up on his offer for lunch. I’m starving.”

“Really, you are thinking of food at a time like this?”

“Yep, we worked up quite an appetite. Aren’t you hungry?

“Now that you mention it, yeah, I could eat. But…”

“But what?”

“The Admiral was right. I don’t have any food in the house.”

“Does any place deliver around here? A pizza would be amazing right now!”

“Pizza! I live in fucking France, there aren’t many pizza places around here, brat.”

“Ok, ok, I’m fine with whatever, as long as it gets delivered. We are not leaving this house.”

“Fine, brat. Let me make a call right after we clean up a bit.”

His eyes lit up with all of that emerald radiance as he got a towel and helped up both clean up and I called and ordered some food from a nearby cafe. I rejoined Eren on my bed and snuggled up close to him, enjoying his warmth and scent while we waited for our food to arrive. I could definitely get addicted to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo- hope you enjoyed this chapter of nothing but smutty smut...my favorite kind of chapter. I know it took a while so I hope it was worth it for everyone. For being so patient, there will be some more sexy times in the next chapter too!


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

And addicted I became. Those two weeks flew by in a flash. It couldn’t have been more perfect- it just wasn’t long enough. I was back at home in my favorite city, Cannes. Back to the comforts of my townhome, where there was plenty of room to stretch out and laze around in my king sized bed all day long if we had wanted to.  
I showed Eren all around the town to my favorite hang outs from the tiny café on the corner that had the best croissants to the Centre d'art La Malmaison at Cannes where we got to see a wonderful Picasso exhibit. For being a brat, I was impressed with his knowledge of French culture and cuisine. Well, to be honest, maybe the food part shouldn’t have been a surprise since he had worked on a cruise ship for a few years and a lot of the chefs favored local dishes from France. 

I still couldn’t believe he would be going back to working in the dining rooms when we returned to the ship. A tiny pang of guilt hit me every time I thought of him giving up his cruise director position just to be with me. Eren tried to assure me over and over, he was happy to go back to a more specialized position where he got his start, but it did not absolve me of my remorse. He had made a wonderful cruise director and his loss would have an impact on the overall morale of the crew and to the satisfaction of the passengers. I would miss him at the officer’s table during the Captain’s Gala dinner but at least I’d be able to see him as he works his way around to all of the passenger tables. I wondered if he would make up some excuse to visit my table. I could only hope so since for some reason I had a huge, insatiable desire to see him in the tuxedo-like uniform the head servers wore. I could just imagine how amazing his sexy body would fill out that suit.

Which brought my thoughts back to his body. I had gotten plenty up close and personal experience with it- chiseled in warm, bronze perfection. We had spent a few days on the Cote D’Azur, since he loved the beach so much. And what nicer place to sunbathe than the French Riviera. Obviously, his skin loved soaking up the warm rays and I indulged myself in the heat he emanated afterwards as much as possible for those two weeks, knowing we’d have a whole week to wait once we got onboard and back to work. After that, we were free to continue our relationship, but of course, with our busy schedules, we knew our free time together would be limited and most of it spent during the times we jogged and worked out. So, we made sure to utilize every moment we could to satisfy every bodily desire we could think of while we still could. For the first time in almost 20 years, I didn’t stick to my daily exercise regimen, but the extracurricular activities I was indulging in provided more than enough compensation. 

I had never felt more alive and energized during my waking hours and never more well-rested when I slept. I in no way thought I would ever be able to get comfortable enough to share my bed with another person, let alone actually fall asleep and get sufficient rest. As fiery and determined a person Eren is while awake, there was something innately calming about him during those times when we would just exist in close proximity, barely touching, luxuriating in the sounds of each other’s heartbeats. A pulse we seemed to share and that only existed for and with each other. How this had become a ritual in such as short span of time, I had no logical explanation. How someone like me who had survived blissfully unaware and independent for so long had become intertwined and bound to a kindred spirit who cherished me just as much, I would never know. The closest explanation I came to was whispered to me by Eren in the afterglow one evening; we were just meant to be together. As much as I wanted to deny such nonsense about fate or divine intervention, the romance of the idea appealed to me much more than I thought it would and I returned his smile after he had said it.

The only sobering thought I had that whole time was the night before we had to return to work. Yes, we would still work together on the same ship. Yes, we would still be able to share our morning jog time together since he would not have a breakfast shift in his new position. And yes, we would still have our exercise sessions in the evenings. 

Sadly, he would no longer be there with the other officers during the pre-debarkation meetings to discuss suggestions for improving overall passenger satisfaction and implementing new practices to increase crew revenue. I knew it had taken a few weeks for everyone to truly become comfortable with Eren but once they had accepted him as the exemplary worker he was, they had included him in all discussions and highly respected his opinions. There would be a huge void now in that meeting room. I could only hope that our new director could step up and fill a tiny piece of what Eren had to leave behind. 

Not only would the meetings seem less meaningful but I would have to go back to my room on the ship all alone. I was a big boy and been able to sleep just fine on my own for the majority of my life. But now that I finally had someone to share that other half of the space with, my perception was forever changed. I had truly become dependent on Eren’s warm presence next to me over the last two weeks and I actually dreaded having to sleep alone. According to company rules, only siblings or married couples were allowed to room together. Why hadn’t I thought to discuss this with Erwin while I was at the headquarters? Oh yeah, I’m a socially inept middle-aged man who never had a relationship before. How the fuck was I supposed to know that after this brat had wormed his way into my heart, he would also make me crave his presence every night after only two weeks?

Oh well, I would have to see what I could manage to get away with by having Eren in my room once in a while. Enough to quench my insane thirst for him but not too often to avoid someone noticing. Besides, If he just happened to pass out in my bed from exhaustion who was I to disturb his sleep?

In the meantime, I shook myself free of these depressing thoughts and vowed to enjoy our last evening of this break to the fullest. Hanji and Erwin had come over that morning for a quick brunch and to drop off a suit for Eren. I had made reservations at an exclusive restaurant where the attire was semi-formal. Eren had only packed the essentials with him and none of my suits were big enough to fit him. Hanji ran off with Eren to my bathroom to try it on him and refused to let me see, telling me it was a surprise. A few hours after they left, Eren and I started to get dressed for dinner and what a sight he was. The suit fit him nicely, accentuating every curve. I couldn’t tear my eyes away for a moment, still disbelieving that this gorgeous man in front of me had chosen to be with me. 

At dinner, we both enjoyed a lovely dinner of coq au vin and then sweet and smooth crème brulee for dessert, along with a romantic champagne toast. When we arrived back at my townhome, I could still feel the tingle of the drink in my veins, heightening my senses rather than dulling them. Eren looked too damn hot for his own good. I thought at first it was the suit but as I started to quickly remove it from his body as soon as I locked the door behind me, I realized it was just him. Bronzed, toned and those eyes of liquid jewels that all combined to make one beautiful package that was Eren. 

We kissed feverishly all the way up the stairs, not even caring if we made it to the bed or not. We had done so much exploring of each other over the past two weeks that we had mapped out each other’s most sensitive and reactive parts. We performed in all types of positions and utilized lips, tongues, fingers and other wonderful parts to please the other. There was one thing we hadn’t done since I knew Eren hadn’t done it before and I was concerned with causing him any pain, but now that the break was all but over, I couldn’t deny that my desire to fuck him was screaming for fulfillment. I had an intense desire to claim him fully and make him mine in all ways possible.

As we continued our foreplay and each of us were brought to edge, I reached over for the tube of lube. I looked at Eren to make sure he was truly ok with the next step I wanted to take. He wordlessly nodded his approval and opened his legs up before me, inviting me to take him as I desired. With the lube, I prepared him as fully as I could before he finally told me, “Levi, please. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Please, just fuck me already. I need you- to feel you.”

I almost climaxed right then and there – just from his seductive words. I had never wanted anything more in my life and it was difficult to keep my patience in pushing into him slowly. Gentle nudging and caressing him as I wanted to keep it as pleasurable for him as possible.

“Still ok?” I asked him looking down at his flushed features. 

“Feels so amazing, Levi. I can’t describe how wonderful a sensation it is to finally be connected to you like this. Seems like I waited forever and I would gladly wait another lifetime if I could experience this again,” he whispered and then reached up to kiss me gently on the lips.

“Yeah- you feel pretty incredible yourself. Is it ok for me to start moving?” I asked, not wanting to rush things. I would love to savor him all night long if possible.  
Eren didn’t reply; all I got was a seductive moan and then a quick nod of his head.

He was so amazingly hot and tight and it took a few minutes to adjust before I was comfortable with thrusting needingly into him. We had both gotten extremely worked up and I tried to be as gentle as possible but when he started to moan louder and ask for it harder, I was more than willing to comply. My little bedroom echoed with our moans and pants, accented with an occasional gasp as I hit his sweet spot deep inside him. I gave him his dripping wet cock a few strokes and that was all it took to send him over the edge with a scream of my name. I followed right behind him as he clenched all around me with his climax, filling him with all I had. Warm, wet and high from the rush, we both continued to call out each other’s names as we reached the peak and then murmured words of love as we floated back down to earth again, holding each other tightly.

“I love you so much, Levi. I’m so glad we got to have this time together- it’s been the best two weeks I have ever spent.”

“I’ll second that,” I said back to him, dreading the next day when they would be going back to reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor babies. Those 2 weeks flew by way too quickly. But fear not, I'm sure they will find ways to make time for each other once back onboard. Thanks so much for reading and hope you enjoyed the latest chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The officer’s meeting that week was a bit awkward to say the least. Eren was not in attendance and everyone wanted to know why. Since he was going to be starting his new position in a week, I figured that today would be a better opportunity for him to get acquainted with his soon to be manager and fellow servers so he could get into the full swing of the job next week. That and the Admiral just disclosed who the next Cruise Director would be. So I preferred to make that announcement to my officers without Eren in the room just in case his presence caused me to reveal some sort of emotion on my face. I had come to accept and respect Eren’s decision but after the last two weeks of absolute pleasure we had indulged in, I felt I still wouldn’t be able to fully control my emotions with Eren in close proximity. I had never experienced a problem with keeping my poker face on no matter what but Eren seemed to be the exception to all of my rules.

Too soon, the meeting room was full and everyone took their seats. I began the meeting with a neutral subject- a quick review of a few minor issues found while we were in dry-dock, when I heard some murmuring among my 1st and 2nd Officers. 

“Erd and Oluo, is there a problem that just has to be addressed right now while I am in the middle of reviewing the new safety procedures for the new anchor?” I asked, being quite annoyed with the rude interruption.

Erd spoke up. “Um sorry sir, but shouldn’t we wait for Mr. Jaeger? It’s extremely uncharacteristic for him to be late. Maybe we should send Jean back to their room to look for him?”

“That won’t be necessary. I was going to make this announcement at the end of the meeting but I guess now that we are on the subject of Mr. Jaeger, I’ll mention it now. Eren will no longer be the Cruise Director on La Liberte effective next week. He has...”

The rest of my sentence was cut off with sudden loud murmurs among my officers. They could be quite disruptive when they got together. I was soon being inundated with a deluge of questions.

“Did he quit? Was he fired? Was he caught on one of the security cameras committing a crime? Did he have some illicit affair with one of the passengers?”

“Whoa! Wait a moment. Everyone please be quiet. I am appalled at your questions and lack of respect for privacy. What are you all, a bunch of gossiping harpies?”

“Sorry sir, but you know you can’t make a statement like that without providing the juicy details. We don’t get much excitement around here.” Oluo spouted his nonsense and I found my patience flying out the window.

“First of all, it is none of your business why Mr. Jaeger will no longer be cruise director. That is something between the Survey Corps Company and him.” I could see Jean squirm uncomfortably in his seat and I could only hope he would keep his mouth shut, being that he knew about the relationship- just not the details. “If you would allow me to finish my statement without your rude-ass interruptions, Eren has decided to assume the position of Head Server in our main dining room, replacing Connie Springer.”

“Yeah, we heard Connie was leaving since he knocked up his girlfriend Sasha and her father threatened to put an arrow through his heart if he didn’t marry his daughter,” Hanji offered.

“Wow, you guys really are gossiping pieces of shit. Unbelievable. Anyway, so Eren will replace Connie next week and the Admiral has already chosen the next cruise director. It will be Rico Brezca. I’m sure most of you already know her- she has worked on this ship for three years and currently heads up the Spa and Fitness Center group. She was a natural choice for the position and hopefully will be able to jump right into her new responsibilities.”

“So you really won’t tell us why Eren would take a job downgrade after making such a wonderful cruise director? Everyone loved him. Who the hell wants to go back to a position they had before and in food service?” Erd asked.

“I cannot and will not discuss the details, so just drop it. “ I replied. 

“Will the Admiral be back on board to oversee Ms. Brezca like he did with Eren?” Pixis, my security officer asked. “If so, I’ll be sure to get the guest suite set up again for him.”

“Unfortunately, his schedule won’t allow for that but he promised to stop by again soon to see how she is doing firsthand. I am confident she will fit right in, so I want to be sure all of you are on your best behavior next week when she attends her first officer’s meeting.”

“Did you find a replacement for the Fitness and Spa Director position already then? If not, I have a friend of mine from L’Etoile who is one of the fitness consultants there. He is amazing,” Jean suggested. I could only think that maybe it was another love interest he wanted to be close to so he could make a move on them like he had with Eren. Thank goodness nothing ever came of that. Maybe it wouldn’t be bad to keep him distracted in case he still hadn’t completely given up on Eren. They did still share a room together, much to my chagrin.

“I’m not sure if the Admiral is considering anyone yet, since the Cruise Director position was the most pressing to fill. But by all means, let me know their name and I’ll send the suggestion to him right after the meeting.”

“Great, his name is Reiner Braun. I’ll contact him so he can send over his resume. Thank you Captain.” Jean replied quietly. Seemed he still had a tiny sliver of fear left over, but was not nearly as bad as before.

I then went over all the other topics we had to discuss, concluded the meeting and everyone went their separate ways to perform their duties. I went back to my room to get dressed in my full uniform before going up on deck to prepare to set sail. I normally get a cup of tea before going back up on deck but the meeting had gone on longer than normal due to the few extra announcements. As soon as I closed the door behind me, there was a knock on my door. “Who the hell could that be. I don’t have time for this shit,” I muttered under my breath. “Who is it?!” I yelled.

“Room service, sir!” a familiar voice called out from the other side of the door.

I opened the door and there stood a sight for sore eyes. A certain, tan, green-eyed brat in a server’s outfit holding a tray of tea and biscuits in front of him.

“Hello Captain.”

“What brings you here, Jaeger?” I asked as I looked him up and down in his new uniform, quite pleased at the view. I gestured for him to come into the room, but he shook his head. 

“I’m just passing through. I had to try on my new uniform to make sure it fits before next week. I got to meet everyone I’ll be working directly with and now need to get back to change before we head out. I figured you would have been extra busy at the meeting today, so I thought you’d might like some tea in case you didn’t get any earlier.”

“Hmmm, you are a fucking mind reader, you know that?” I responded enthusiastically. I would be able to have my tea after all thanks to the considerate sex god in front of me. “Thank you Eren. I really appreciate it.” I said as I took the tray from him and set it inside on my table.

“You sure you can’t come in for just a moment?” I gestured with my index finger. I hadn’t seen him for over 12 hours and I was already suffering from withdrawal. I needed a kiss at the very least to hold me over until later. I grabbed him by his skinny, black tie and jerked him inside for just a second. I closed my door a little –enough to conceal what I was about to do from anyone who may be wandering the hallway, and gave him a long, wet and passionate kiss on his candy-colored lips.

“Mmm, that should hold me over until tonight, at least.”

“I thought we had to wait until next week, when you are no longer my direct supervisor?”

“Well, tonight you’ll be wearing those short shorts while you exercise, right?”

“I guess so.” He replied. 

“Good, then you won’t be on duty and I can at least get another kiss. There’s rarely anyone else in the gym at that hour and I know the perfect corner that is hidden from any view of the place.”

“Ah- I can deal with that. See you then.”

“Until then, mon amour.” I only hoped that the one kiss would hold me over until then. At least as a consolation, I got am ideal view of his sweet ass as he walked back down the hall with an ever so slight limp to his step left over from last night.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I felt like some sort of hormonal teenager that evening when we met in the gym. After our normal workout, and making sure that no one else was occupying the room, we made our way over to the corner I mentioned to Eren earlier. I knew we didn’t have the luxury of taking our time, so we just ensured that not a moment was wasted as we kissed each other senseless in that dark portion of the room. It felt as if we hadn’t been together for months even though we had a brief encounter that morning. I had just spent two weeks monopolizing every moment of his time in his lone presence and so now the separation during the day was painfully acute. I knew once we got back into our normal routines, we’d be able to establish a conventional schedule to rendezvous with each other, but it would take some adjusting until then.

After our little make out session, we headed back to our rooms, temporarily sated. After wishing each other goodnight, I closed my door behind me, realizing with a sinking heart that I’d be sleeping alone that evening and each night here on in until Eren and I had another break or vacation. Even though next week, Eren and I would be fully permitted to engage in a relationship, we still weren’t free to flaunt it blatantly. After today’s meeting, I feared the gossip that could be started up by some of my crew who seemed to feed off of any torrid tidbits they could gather to fuel their blather. I debated whether to keep the relationship a secret or to announce it to my officers. There were obvious implications for each decision and I would have to discuss the subject with Eren, as it was only fair. Currently, I was leaning towards to just getting it out in the open so we wouldn’t have to fret about trying to be discreet every moment of every day, but needed to be sure Eren was ok with that as well.

I could hear it now from some of the others, especially Oluo about how everyone thought that the cold and hard Captain was incapable of loving anyone and that no one in their right mind would want to be with such an abrasive man. The joke was on them since I thought the exact same thing until that brat came along. And yet here we both were- in love with someone for the very first time. It was a scary, uncertain future but I looked forward to every second of it. I sure as hell didn’t want the rest of the crew to give us a hard time, so I could only hope they would be surprised at first and then just let it go afterwards.

The week went by slowly of course. Time always crawls when you are actually looking forward to something. I was even more irritated than normal by any little issue or complaint and by the end of the week, I was snapping at all of my officers for the pettiest of things. I had only gotten to see Eren for our normal jogging sessions and just a few evening exercise sessions as he spent two of the nights in the main dining room to shadow with the current head server. Eren wanted to get at least comfortable with all of his responsibilities first hand before he was on his own next week. I understood and applauded his dedication but there was still a bitter, needy part of me that would have much rather preferred Eren getting comfortable in my bed. Seemed that I did not take separation well after all.

I all but celebrated with a champagne toast when that week ended. Deep down, I knew that there would never be enough opportunities to be together when we were on the ship, but I had to admit that I had come up with some very creative ways to discreetly sneak him into my room as often as humanly possible. I was hoping Eren would agree with my thoughts to announce our relationship to the other officers and he did indeed concur with that decision. He had said “I have no problem with that, in fact, I feel we have nothing to hide. I am proud to be fucking the captain of the ship.” That little shit. I had to laugh at that comment, knowing he was just fooling around, but was also a little giddy to think he was proud to admit he was going out with a cantankerous old man.

So at the next week’s meeting, I made a quick and non-detailed announcement to my officers that Eren and I were in a relationship and that I promised to keep everything professional and private. I asked the same of my crew, knowing that most would respect my wishes, even though I could already tell that a few them were itching to get any juicy details they could sink their teeth into. I was damn sure that they wouldn’t get any other revelations from me and was positive Eren would be just as discreet.

My first test came a few days later during the Captain gala’s dinner. I was seated at the head table with the rest of the officers enjoying my weekly indulgence in gourmet food when I caught a glimpse of Eren across the room. I should have been prepared being that I had seen him in his uniform when he had first gotten it the week before. However, seemed the brat had the suit tailored somewhat and it now fit like a second skin. He looked like a fucking tan Adonis across the room, flitting among the passengers, flashing his blinding smile as he went, dazzling and turning many heads. I thought I was done with this shit of passengers ogling him now that he wasn’t in his uniform whites but seems that wasn’t the case. Him being in his new uniform was a new found kink only I was supposed to have. My thoughts turned for the worse when I started imagining what I could do with his bowtie. A little light bondage might be nice to dabble in one day. Or maybe have him take everything off but the bowtie, hmmm. I continued to follow him around the room with my eyes like they were slaves to his graceful figure. I had no idea how long I stared gawking, but it was long enough for my meal to get tepid and for Erd to make a comment, “Everything ok, Captain? You barely touched your meal and it’s your favorite.”

I turned to him and deadpanned “It’s fine, I guess maybe my tastes are just changing.” Erd just shrugged and went back to devouring his meal.

I really hoped deep down that the rest of the table hadn’t seen me staring at Eren and all but drooling, but it seemed that everyone else was just too busy with their own meals to notice. It was everyone’s only chance during the week to eat the top shelf foods so no one except me seemed eager to forfeit that gift. I’m sure I would regret it later when I was still hungry and had nothing to eat but some old, tasteless microwave popcorn back in my room but it was worth it.

Before long, the dinner plates were being cleared away and dessert was being served. I was just about to pop a nice big portion of Baked Alaska into my mouth when a much better, sweeter dessert arrived at the table, directly in front of me.

“Good evening, Captain. I trust your dinner and dessert met your discriminating standards this evening?” Eren asked while having the nerve to park his god-like self right before me, where I had to pretend to act casual rather than as if my entire body was on fire. 

“The food was amazing as always, Eren. My compliments to the chef. Thank you.” I replied cordially, trying not to sound too excited to see him.

“I’m glad to hear it. Did you have any suggestions for the chefs to make the experience better for the officers and the passengers? I’d be more than happy to pass on any comments for you. After all, we want to be sure that everyone is receiving the best of service and food.”

Personally, I wanted to say that the only way they could improve the food would be to serve Eren to me covered in whipped cream and a cherry on a silver plate so I could eat him whole. Obviously, I could not express that opinion in present company and had to suffice with letting Eren know that everything was perfect as it was already. I did make a quick comment about his new uniform, however.

“Seems like either you grew or your uniform shrunk within the last week.” I whispered, not wanting the rest of the table to hear this portion of our discussion. 

Eren blushed slightly at my comment. “Well, yesterday, one of the servers totally spilled an entire tray of desserts on me in the kitchen. Thank goodness that it was out of sight of the passengers so they would not have been privy to that nightmare. I had to go and change immediately and this spare uniform is about one size too small. They are still trying to get the blueberry stains out of mine so I had to wear this spare again.”

I was grateful for the size difference as it did wonders to accentuate his muscular form, especially that amazing ass of his. “I’m glad that the food wasn’t hot. You would have been burnt badly. But I have to say I appreciate your new tailored look. Maybe your uniform will be a lost cause and you'll have to keep that one for now. I hope we fired that waiter- there is no excuse to drop an entire tray.”

“It was an accident. I am fine- no one else got hurt and the poor guy had to scrub the entire kitchen as punishment from the head chef.”

“You’re just too much of a softie.”

“Ha, but not where it counts most.” He joked seductively and my thoughts went completely south as if they weren’t already headed in that direction. “Well, I have to get back to it. Enjoy the rest of your dessert, Captain.” Then he sauntered away, flirtatiously swaying that backside. Jerk, filling my mind with dirty images and ideas and then leaving me there to hang. The next opportunity for us to have some private time together just couldn't come fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Captain. He misses his Eren. Next chapter will have some well deserved alone time for our cute couple.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It appeared that Eren had the same idea in mind- we both missed each other terribly but with our job responsibilities, it was turning out to be difficult to have alone time. However, it wasn’t long before he surprised me one evening with an unexpected knock on my door. I opened it to find Eren looking extremely sheepish, as if he was up to something as he ran inside quickly. 

“What are you do…hmph,” I tried to protest but he was shushing me with a finger to my lips.

“I don’t want anyone to hear. There are a few people wandering around the hallway but once the coast is clear, I have a little surprise for us,” he whispered slyly in my ear.

“A surprise, huh? Does this involve staying here all night?” I asked, extremely curious and even more so excited at the prospect of finally getting some quality time together.

“I don’t want to reveal my little secret just yet. Let me just say that I planned a little experience for us and the less people who see us while on the way there, the better. I called in a favor and I just don’t want either of us to have to answer a bunch of stupid questions if someone sees us on the way there.”

“Well, I really don’t give a fuck. I’ve told the officers that we are dating and I wouldn’t tolerate any gossip from any of them. It's not like we are going to be making out like horny teenagers in the hallway.” I replied, hoping that indeed no one saw us headed to wherever- not that it would upset me but just for hassle it would create. I preferred to avoid any confrontations rather than providing explanations. “So are we going to do this thing of yours or are we going to sit here and wait all night?” I asked after waiting for five minutes. I was not trying to be impatient but I didn’t really want a surprise, I just wanted him, as I made clear with a bruising kiss to his sweet lips- quick and powerful and to the point.

“I don’t hear any footsteps out in the hallway anymore. Do you want to stick your head out and check to be sure the coast is clear? Then we can make a beeline for the aft elevators and head up to my little surprise for us.”

“OK,” I agreed and opened the door and checked the hallway for anyone. No one was around, so I pulled Eren out of my room with me and locked the door behind me. “I guess I should have asked beforehand if we needed to bring anything before I locked my door?”

“That’s ok, Levi. I’ve taken care of everything- we just need to get there,” he said as we got on the elevator and headed up to the 10th Deck. 

I tried to figure out what the brat had planned, but was failing miserably as I was just happy to be alone with him again, even if it was just for a quick jaunt on the elevator. As soon as we got off on the 10th deck, Eren grabbed my hand again and led me down the hall a short distance until we arrived at the Spa. It was already closed for the evening but I saw him pull a key out from under his shirt and then unlock the door. We headed inside and locked the door again behind us. “Where did you get that key and what are we doing here, Eren?”

“You ask too many questions. Surprise, remember? I don’t want to ruin it. Come on this way and close your eyes. I’ll lead you.”

“You aren’t going to make me crash into a wall or anything right?” I replied, a little skeptical of the request.

“Of course not, do you think I am some awful monster or something? Let’s go.”

Eren led me along and I heard the fumbling of a key in a lock again followed by the sound of a door opening. I could only guess that we then walked into the room but I wasn’t sure since I had to keep my stupid eyes closed the whole time. “Can I open my eyes yet?” I asked. I didn’t get an immediate reply as I heard the door click behind me and the lock re-engaged.

“OK, you can open them now.”

When my vision was restored, I found myself in one of the ship’s Couple Suites in the Spa. These rooms are reserved to give a few hours of private time for a couple to sample some spa products and relax in the personal hot tub and lounging bed provided. There were a few lit candles and rose petals spread around. It had to be one of the fucking most romantic things I ever saw.

“Eren, this is amazing. How?”

“I told you I called in a favor and Rico let me borrow the key just for a few hours. I told her my back hurt from the sudden change of having to be on my feet more often and would love to use one of the hot tubs to soak. She agreed to let me use this room. So after my shift, I came up here and got the room ready for us.”

“Hopefully, the new Spa director won’t come by and wonder what’s up. No one is supposed to be in here after hours,” I worried.

“Rico made sure to let Reiner know that I’d be up here. He’s still so new to La Liberte, he’s mostly preoccupied with getting settled in. And anyway, his specialty is the gym, not so much the spa. So enough talk, we will be undisturbed, I promise. It’s just been way too long since we’ve been able to get together like this.” His voice was smooth as silk, no wonder he could talk anyone into doing his bidding- the brat was good with his mouth. But even better with his hands as he started to quickly undress me. I mirrored his motions and soon the both of us were naked and Eren slowly moved us over to the hot tub. We carefully climbed in, the water feeling heavenly and smelling slightly of eucalyptus. I asked about the aroma and Eren explained he wanted to use the muscle-relaxing oil in the water to make it seem a bit more convincing tomorrow morning to appear it was a health-related soak.

“Well if nothing else, it’s going to wet my cock and relax your ass so I can finally get back inside of you again. It’s been far too long,” I teased as I straddled his waist while the warm water and bubble jets bounced us around slightly. The steam coming off the water and the way Eren was kissing my neck and gently fondling my ass were intoxicating. I had to stay focused in case I lost myself and got too lightheaded from the multiple sources of stimulation. Our make out session, though only continued to increase in intensity and soon, the two of us were sporting painfully hard and over-eager erections. 

“Do you have any lube or oil, so I can prepare you properly?” I asked, needing to bury my cock in his ass soon.

“You won’t need any, just sit down next to me for a moment and let me ride you.” 

“Impertinent brat. I want to get right to it too, but you still need to be stretched a little. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“No need to worry Levi, I already made sure to prepare myself before I came to get you from your room. I knew we’d both want to get down to business right away.”

Sure enough I sat down beside him after untangling my legs from his waist and we switched positions- this time with him straddling me and when I reached around and touched my fingers gently to his puckered hole, I found it already delightfully stretched and ready to accommodate me.

“You are just fucking amazing and you even used the waterproof silicone lube, knowing we’d be in the hot tub. There is no way, you were a virgin before this- I just can’t believe you can be that good.”

“I assure you Levi, I never dated anyone, let alone, fucked anyone before you. I just had lots of years of pining away for you where I had tons of free time to fantasize about all sorts of wonderfully nice and naughty things we can do together.”

“Hmmm, you mean like this?” I said as I reached down and guided my more than eager dick to his deliciously prepared hole. I guided it in slowly but steadily as Eren slowly started to lower himself down onto it, moaning sweetly as he went. 

“Yeah- wonderfully lewd things like this. Ah...feels so good Levi to have you back inside of me.” He whispered in my ear as he adjusted to the fullness. I licked his left nipple and then his right one as the steamy and bubbly water continued to churn all around us. 

“Delicious.” I declared as I claimed his sweet lips again when he started to finally move up and down on my lap, aided by the buoyancy of the water. Both of us were more than over stimulated from the whole experience and I knew I had no chance of lasting for long, my desires for the man on top of me too great and the feelings too intense. I had missed him intolerably and obviously my manhood had too. We had spent two glorious weeks of nothing but pure indulgence followed by almost two weeks of barely seeing each other. We could only manage to pant and moan continuously for a few minutes before shouting out each other’s names as we came almost at the exact same moment. I had never thought about it before but I sure as hell hoped that the soundproofing in this room was up to specs. If not, anyone below or above us probably got some unexpected aural entertainment. I also needed to make sure that this hot tub was drained, cleaned and refilled after our little adventure in it.

When we both regained our breath, Eren turned off the tub’s jets and reached over to hand me a towel. We disengaged from each other and got out of the tub carefully to dry off. My legs were still just a bit shaky from the experience and the heat from the water hadn’t helped. When we were sufficiently dry, we both put on one of the Spa’s plush robes each and laid down on the lounging bed, which was surprisingly comfortable despite its smaller size. We dozed lazily cuddled up in each other arms, trailing a set of kisses along each other’s faces occasionally before it was time for us to clean up the room and head out. 

We made sure to give each other our kiss goodnight before we left the room in case anyone saw us in the hallway of our rooms. I wanted to make sure it was full of all of the love and passion I felt for the brat and that was for our eyes only. I never thought being discreet would be such an inconvenience but it was a necessity for now. We went our separate ways after I thanked him for the most incredibly romantic evening of my life and he smiled so sweetly, I thought I would melt. “Just wait until you see what I have planned for the next time, although I am not sure when that will be.”

“Brat, don’t overdo it. Besides, next time it’s my turn. I don’t want to be outdone by a youngster like you.” I teased as I went to open my door.

“Good night Captain. I look forward to it.”

“Good night, kid. Hope you are prepared for it.” Deep down, I hoped I was prepared for it as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Always nice to have some steamy hot tub fun with our 2 sexy lovers! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and look forward to these 2 trying to figure out more ways to enjoy each other onboard the ship.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

That next morning, I woke up, the glow from the evening before had not quite completely left me yet but I still felt that looming emptiness. Maybe loneliness was a better description. Probably both and more, but who could tell when all of this emotional stuff was still new to me. 

Anyway, I still hadn’t paid him back for the tight uniform incident getting me all hot and bothered while on duty and then he has the audacity to follow that up with the amazing hot tub sex. Here I was recalling the evening before that was just indescribable and perfectly executed in every way. It notably had to be the best fuck I had ever experienced in my life- the most romantic, most intense, most everything. And all because of a young jerk, who claimed to be all cute and innocent, yet knew how to do all sorts of lewd and tantalizing things without even trying. He already knew me so well and I was terribly remiss in not knowing much about him other than I fell in love with everything he is and anything he does.

I really had to step up my game. I refused to be outdone by an insolent yet precious little whelp. The sad part is that I now knew his time spent socializing and assisting everyone and anyone on my ship had earned him a place of favor with everyone. He had managed to set up everything last night thanks to those connections. He was just too damn sweet and perfect that the rest of the crew was willing to drop anything to return his favors. How was I going to compete with that? Yeah, I was the Captain, but while not downright mean to anyone in general, I was a no-nonsense and practical leader. There was no room in my opinion for niceties in the workplace. I worked hard and gave 150% and expected the same of my crew. Those who excelled were rewarded with commendations and promotions; I’m sure my heartfelt thanks wouldn’t mean much to anyone. And yet, I’ve seen others line up to hear a few kind words from Eren- I would just have to accept that he possessed charisma and charm I probably never would. Which meant I needed to plan and prepare our next rendezvous all by myself with my careful planning and attention to detail. I would have my revenge for the brat being too damn romantically flawless.

So where would I even start? We didn’t have any vacation or planned maintenance for at least 4 months. I barely even got to see him now that he was in his new position. Although that might actually work out to my advantage as I could make covert plans without him discovering what I was up to. Sadly, I didn’t even have the faintest clue how to plan anything even remotely wonderful as the evening I had just experienced. I was embarrassed to admit that I didn’t really even know what sort of things Eren enjoyed, so how was I expected to plan the perfect payback. I felt overwhelmed. All I could do was tackle this the way I did everything else. I would have to research, inquire and probably even spy on the brat to see what his favorite things were. I would overwhelm him with so much thoughtfulness, he won't know what hit him. I couldn’t wait to reduce him to a puddle of goo that could barely mutter my name. It was only fair since he had gotten to do that to me last night. 

I started that morning by asking him some general, yet inquisitive questions about what sort of movies he liked and what colors he favored. I tried to gather small bits of information based on what we spoke about without being too obvious. It was slow and frustrating detective work but I needed to gather these sorts of details to make some personal, memorable experiences for us. 

I tried to be as subtle as possible, attempting to spark brief conversations while we jogged in the mornings.

“The ocean is especially blue this morning, don’t you think Eren? I really like the color.”

“Hmm, it is pretty but I think I prefer green,” he replied.

Bingo! Figured out one of his favorite colors.

The next attempt didn’t go as well, as it was during the next week’s Captain’s Gala and he was still wearing “that” uniform. I was so distracted by the sight and also by my having to glare at passengers daring to attempt to monopolize Eren’s time that I totally missed my opportunity to try to figure out some of Eren’s favorite foods.  
As the week was coming to a close and I still hadn’t gotten much useful data, I decided to break down and check with a co-worker I could trust. Maybe trust was too strong a word, but I was desperate. I wanted to return the favor to Eren and was about to fail miserably. At least Hanji was already aware of my true feelings- possibly having figured them out even before I did. I was banking on her chipper personality and outgoing nature and hoped that she had been able to have a few personal conversations with Eren in the past few months. 

“Hey Hanji, do you have a few moments?” I approached her with caution in case of an outbreak of sudden animation, which I knew could be painful from experience. 

“Captain! Why, of course. What can I help you with?” She replied with way too much enthusiasm. I almost wanted to burst her bubble and jokingly tell her I wanted her to clean every toilet on the ship with her toothbrush. Of course, that might backfire on me and she’d be thrilled to get access to a huge variety of bacteria samples or some such nonsense in the name of research. 

“I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind answering a few questions about Eren?”

“Ooooh Eren? What do you need to know? Does he need a different type of lube? Is the one you’re using irritating him? Maybe a ribbed condom?” she shouted with glee and without taking a single breath.

“Hanji, can you please calm down first of all. And secondly, no. Why would I need advice on stuff like that. You know I only buy the best of things. I may live simply but I make sure to spend my heard earned money only on stuff that’s worth it. Anyway, to get back on topic here, I just wanted to know if you happened to have become aware of anything Eren favors in speaking to him?”

“Hmmm, are you trying to pick out a gift for him? Is his birthday coming up or something?”

“No, I just wanted to plan something special for the two of us and then realized I didn’t know many little details about him. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit but we sort of both just went in full throttle without getting to know what he likes and dislikes.”

“It’s understandable. Watching the two of you dance around the mutual attraction for months was well worth it. You may not know each other’s idiosyncrasies yet, but anyone can tell you two are in love when you gaze into each other’s eyes. You have the rest of your lives together to figure all of that out once you get married and all.” She jumped up and down, clapping her hands in joy, as if she got off on this kind of thing.

“Hanji! I’m serious. He went and did this whole evening of special things for me last week and I can’t just be outdone by a brat. I need to know what he likes so I can plan an evening for him to blow his mind with happiness.”

“Aww, who knew you were a hopeless romantic at heart. Isn’t that sweet? Of course I’ll help you with everything I know. It’s not a lot but it should help a little bit. Let’s see, he likes the color green.”

“Yeah, I already figured that out- anything else?” I asked impatient to get the information quickly so I could actually start planning.

‘Well, he likes just about anything to eat. He told me he wasn’t a picky eater and always loves to try new things. He likes the smell of roses and I think he said his favorite flowers were orchids since they come in lots of colors and look very tropical. He said he hopes we get to do some Caribbean sailings when it gets too cold here in the winter like he did on L’Etoile. “

“Of course we do- did he really think we’d stay here in the Mediterranean and freeze our asses off. People want to relax on vacation not endure the elements. Brats!”  
“Hey! What about those who love winter sports like skiing?”

“Those people are just idiots- who the hell wants to fling themselves down a frozen hill on wood sticks?” I asked- I just never understood the allure of winter sports since I hated the cold.

“So I am an idiot then? I like to ski and ice skate.” She pouted.

“Yes you are then. But back to Eren. Do you know anything else about him that I should know?”

“That’s about it- other than he said he really loves it when you fuck him hard and ride him bareback.”

“What??!!” I sputtered, feeling my face turn ten shades of red with anger and embarassment. Why would he discuss that sort of thing with Hanji? Wait- he wouldn’t, would he? I got my answer when Hanji busted out in laughter.

“You shitty excuse for a doctor. Do you think that’s funny? I still don’t know how I haven’t fired you already.” I yelled.

“Yep. The funniest thing I saw all day. I’m sorry Captain. I couldn’t resist. But seriously Eren always speaks highly of you and anything you do. You can tell he is 150% in love with you. I’m sure anything you plan for him will be well received. And you can’t fire me because of Erwin. Haha.”

“You suck Hanji. But thank you for the information. At least I have a good starting point. I want to really plan something nice for us. He really went out of his way for me last week and I will feel like a total heel if I can’t at least match what he did.” I had a little more to go on but it couldn’t possibly be enough to plan the perfect evening.

“You know Captain- just stick to the basics for now. You have a lovely room. Go speak to the head Chef and see about a nice meal being delivered to your room- get it all prepared nicely before he gets there-some music , some flowers and I bet the magic will just happen from there. Eren is a big-hearted sweetie and I know he’ll appreciate even the tiniest of gestures from you.”

“You think he won’t be disappointed with something that simple? I’ve never had to do anything like this before.”

“And you don’t have to do it alone. You have a whole crew who would be willing to help you. You work hard for this ship and everyone appreciates it. So go – plan the best evening ever. Good luck Captain! I’m sure you’ll both enjoy yourselves no matter what you decide.”

I sure hoped so as I went around the ship to make the arrangements for the next night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm. What does the Captain have in mind? I can't wait to find out myself. I love Hanji and her advice. She always has some great ideas. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

A few hours later Chef Moblit and I had planned an exquisite four-course meal, complete with a lovely bottle of our special reserve champagne. I also wanted to add to the ambiance of my simple room decor by adding some flowers. We didn’t have a huge demand for flowers as we rarely had passengers buy bouquets onboard but we did have lots of arrangements around the ship providing a tasteful splash of color and fragrance here and there. I checked with our florist, Nanaba to see what extras were laying around. Nanaba was ecstatic it seemed to want to help me. Some romantic nonsense about setting up all of Eren’s favorites. She seemed to know exactly what he liked from their previous conversations. When the hell did he find time in his busy schedule to discuss flowers? Just when I thought it couldn’t get more embarrassing, she mentioned how Eren had been sure to check on the meanings and symbolism of every flower he had gotten for me to be sure they were perfect. So of course, I had to ensure that the ones I got for our evening were all about love and passion and was there even a flower for “you are just so perfect and fuckable?”

It was awkward at first, explaining to the Chef and Florist why I was enlisting their assistance. Amazingly, they were both more than willing to help and both had small insights on what Eren preferred. He really had become an integral part of our crew family and rather than being nosy, others genuinely seemed honored to help the Captain and head waiter make some special plans. It was actually nice to speak to some of my crew on a personal level rather than just barking out orders and running through endless checklists. Who knew this brat would not only quickly become one of the best things to ever happen to me on a personal level but would also bring me closer to my crew. I even got to speak to Petra, the manager of the Kid’s program that day. I rarely got to interact with her since she was actually employed by a third-party child-care company. However, the few times we got to converse with each other, she was just the sweetest and most patient person I had ever met. She stopped me and mentioned how sometimes Eren had stopped in and played a game with the children and wondered why she hadn't seen him recently. She and the children were disappointed that he didn’t have a chance to come around much anymore. I explained that with his new shift, there just weren’t many opportunities for free time, as obviously Eren had been volunteering his break times to spend with the kids. I had no idea he had done this and maybe I could arrange for him to get at least an hour a week set aside for this purpose. Of course, I had to make sure that didn't interfere with 'our' time, but I was sure we could arrange something. Petra seemed excited and even asked me if I ever wanted to join Eren on his visits, I’d be more than welcome. 

“Thank you for the offer Petra. I’ll have to check my schedule; I think I’m pretty booked up but I can try,” I replied trying to be nice but knowing deep down that I should not be unleashed on a group of children on vacation. My stern face and serious attitude was not well-received by little kids. Plus, if the noise level didn’t kill me, the germ factor from all of those snot-nosed brats would. 

On the way back to my room, feeling pretty smug that I had actually arranged a few nice things for the next evening, I could not wait to extend the invitation to Eren. When I arrived back, I made a quick checklist of everything I would need for our little rendezvous. I then went through and cleaned my room for the tenth time, just in case a speck of dust dared to show its face. After that I made three more checklists to make sure there was no way possible for me to forget anything. Everything had to be perfect. At least my fastidious need for perfection was a feeling I was familiar with, considering I was all but drowning in an ocean of other crazy emotions. 

Even with all of the physical activity of the day’s flurry of planning, sleep would not come to me that night. I was partially a nervous wreck, worrying about all kinds of things that could go wrong and the other part of me was just too excited to be able to spend an evening alone with Eren- that feeling you got as a kid on Christmas Eve anxious to open up your presents the next day. Except the present I would hopefully get to unwrap was not suitable for young eyes and the playing I planned to do was strictly of the adult nature.

The next morning, after a few hours of sleep, I woke up extra early so I would have additional time to get my room ready for the evening. That way, the decorating would be done already in case some unexpected crisis arose during the work day, I wouldn’t be rushed to get ready at the last minute. I set up my tiny table with the bouquet of flowers I had gotten- filled with orchids, lilacs and passion flowers, and set out the china and crystal place setting for 2 that was provided with the room and had never once been touched before. Who would have thought I would ever see the day that I would actually use that shit? I also made sure I had the bottle of Perrier-Jouët chilling and two lovely candles ready to provide some ambiance. 

Satisfied that everything was arranged as nicely as possible for the petite quarters, I left my room, anxious to get the day started – the sooner it began, the sooner it would be over. Then I could enjoy our evening together. I was still excruciatingly nervous but at least with the help from some of my crew, I felt a bit more confident that Eren would enjoy himself than if I had planned everything by myself. If all went well this evening, I was hoping to get a better insight on what really delighted the brat. The more I could figure out now, the sooner I could plan better things for us in the future. One where we would have endless opportunities to spoil each other. 

The work day started off as routine. However, as expected, because I was looking forward to something, the day dragged on endlessly and of course was wrought with issues. One of our regulars, a matronly, retired lady named Mrs. LeChance, had a complaint about everything. She bombarded me with a tirade of ‘Why wasn’t the weather sunnier? Why didn’t we have shrimp on the buffet for lunch? And then worst of all, Why isn’t Eren Jaeger the Cruise Director anymore?’ I tried to explain that it was his choice to take that position but I swear that old bag just wanted a reason to punch me, as she made it clear she thought I demoted him in a fit of jealously over his good looks and sweet personality. In times like this, I wished I had the brat’s powers to calm and assuage people’s problems but the best I could do was apologize that she wasn’t happy with anything and promised to make sure she had a fuck-ton of shrimp delivered to her table at dinner. At least with her big mouth full, she wouldn’t be able to complain further. Fortunately, this seemed to placate her for now as she thanked me and walked away. 

Then on my way to drop off my little note inviting Eren to my quarters that evening, my 2nd in command told me that there was a storm heading by that could prevent us from docking in Sicily that afternoon. Passengers always got upset if they couldn’t go ashore and participate in the various excursions that were offered. I told Erd to monitor the weather conditions closely and if no improvement in an hour, we’d have to make the announcement that the stop would have to be cancelled for that day. I continued on my way to Eren’s quarters and slipped the note under the door. Now I just needed to wait for 9pm that evening when he’d be done his shift.  
The weather turned out to be better after all and we were able to dock in Sicily, albeit an hour late. I didn’t get any more complaints from passengers and time started to move a bit quicker as I got involved in my daily tasks. Before I knew it, I was back in my room and was setting out the food that Moblit had just delivered. 

Everything looked and smelled delicious and I couldn’t wait for Eren to arrive. I was famished and anxious to partake in the meal and also, in him.   
At 9:05, Eren still hadn’t arrived and I started to worry. Did he not want to come or maybe the note hadn’t made its way all the way into his room. Maybe Jean saw it and thought it was trash and picked it up to throw away? A million crazy scenarios of what could have gone wrong plagued my thought. “Damn brat, he’s almost always punctual, what was keeping him?” I muttered under my breath as I paced back and forth across my room. 

I guess I shouldn’t have fretted unnecessarily since he knocked on my door 2 minutes later, an apology spilling from his lips, “I’m sorry to be late, Levi. That Mrs. Le Chance cornered me and I had a hell of a time getting away from her.”

“That damnable woman. She has a lot of nerve, but enough about her.” I said as I grabbed Eren and pulled him close to me in a hug and a desperate, needy kiss. 

“God, I missed you,” I panted when we finally stopped for some air. Eren looked around the room, before focusing on the table, illuminated nicely by the candles and decorated nicely with the flowers and our first course. 

“Did you do all of this for me?” he asked timidly.

“Of course. After that little romp in the Spa, I wanted to return the favor.” I showed him to his seat, so we could start dinner. “I hope you like everything; I have four courses to go through, so pace yourself.”

He smiled at me and that suddenly made all of the effort and planning I had put into our little date night worth every moment. “It all looks amazing. Smells delicious too. Are they orchids in the floral arrangement?”

“Yes, I heard from a little bird that you liked them. We only had a few white ones onboard but when we dock again, I can put in an order for other colors if you’d prefer them instead.”

“Thank you, but the color doesn’t matter. I like all of the different varieties and schemes. “ he replied as I started to eat my soup.

I think I maybe got 3 spoonfuls of soup into my mouth and Eren hadn’t even touched his yet, when I felt myself being dragged by the hand, up from the table and then lifted up bridal style. “What the ....humpf!” I couldn’t even protest as strong arms encased me totally and his lips claimed mine fully along with his tongue that was shortly joined by my own. A moment later, I felt myself being lowered onto my bed, our kissing never taking even a moment’s break. When my lips finally became unoccupied, I managed to blurt out, “What are you doing brat? We haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

“I’m sorry Levi. I know you went through a lot of trouble to set that up for us, but I just can’t wait. We can eat afterwards, I promise. Right now, I just need to hold you, mark you, fuck you until we can’t think about anything else.”

I don’t know why my logical side suddenly decided to just take the evening off, but I couldn’t even begin to protest. We both got down to removing our clothing as quickly as possible and before I knew it, Eren had already found my lube and condoms in my end table and was already preparing me, situated in between my legs, looking at me greedily like he was hungry for nothing else but me. I had to admit that I had lost my appetite for food as well and all I would need for sustenance was Eren. He had me moaning like crazy within a few minutes as he hovered back over me to kiss me again. I reached down and took a hold of him, not surprised to find him rock hard and dripping with anticipation already. 

“So was it me or the flowers that got you this excited, Eren?” I purred. 

“Definitely you, but the flowers helped a little. It smells so nice in here.” He replied just before he started to moan again from the caresses I was making up and down his cock. Before long, I could sense that the both of us were in danger of getting too far gone before we even got to the good stuff and I reached over and grabbed a condom and rolled it onto him to tell him I was more than ready. He lifted my legs over his shoulders and leaned down for one more kiss before replacing his fingers with the tip of his erection. We slowly rocked back and forth, gently guiding him all the way in. Once there, we were both too impatient to take it slow. We thrashed against each other like there was no tomorrow, driving him harder and deeper inside. He didn’t even need to touch me, the pleasure built up so quickly and fiercely by hitting my sweet spot repeatedly that I came undone a few minutes into our lovemaking. I knew I was desperate for him, but my body betrayed that it was even worse than I thought. I can only guess it was the same for Eren, judging by his moans and occasional expletive that increased in intensity right after I had come. He too exploded in pleasure, his face a visage of passion and beauty I could never get enough of. He soon removed himself from me so I could put my legs down and we just laid there and cuddled for a few minutes before I had to get up to clean up. I couldn’t bear to be apart for too long, as we had both waited for that evening too long and we soon joined each other back in the bed entangled in each other’s arms. As sleep started to claim us, I only had 2 clear thoughts in my otherwise, still hazy, after-sex mind. One was that we had let all of that food go to waste and secondly, I didn’t give a fuck about anything else except the man I was holding so close to my heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone was wondering, the flowers that Levi and Nanaba decided on were Orchids which mean delicate beauty, Lilacs which mean first love and Passion flowers for passion of course.  
> Hope you enjoyed their little date night!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I was becoming an insatiable beast. They say that you never know what you are missing until you have it and then are forced to go without it. Who the fuck knew this couldn’t have been more true. 

Eren had spent the night in my room. The first time we had spent the night together while on the ship. Technically, it was against the rules- only married couples were supposed to be in a room together but for once I could use my leverage as Captain to overlook that little detail. If anyone saw him leave my room at some point, I could make up some excuse that Eren was just picking something up or whatever else came to mind at the time. 

The scary part was that I didn’t want him to leave my room- ever. Me- the man who valued alone time above all else couldn’t bear to be apart from this man in my bed. But of course, this is reality. When he left that morning to go back and change for his workday, I had to hold myself back from detaining him. I could feel my arms reaching out on behalf of my heart to grab him and pull him back in. I had already gotten about 30 extra minutes with him when he had helped me clean up the table and discard the wasted food. I still felt guilty about not eating any of it, but at least I could save the champagne for later. However, when I knew he had to leave and I couldn’t procrastinate any longer, all of me cried out for him and I had to punch back all of those feelings to keep myself in check. It was just getting harder and harder to break away. I wanted him by my side constantly now and had no idea what to about this new-found addiction.

For the next week, I tried to fully immerse myself in all of my daily chores onboard. This alleviated the emptiness slightly, just until I saw something that reminded me of the brat. Then that intense craving came right back to the forefront of my consciousness. I even made it a point to personally interact with staff members from each group, a few every day to get to know them a little better, as a diversion from my thoughts and emotions. I had been Captain of this ship from Day 1 of her service and while I knew who everyone was on the ship, I had never taken the time to actually get acquainted with hardly anyone. As a distraction, this was partially successful. On one hand, everyone appreciated the gesture and a few even commented that I seemed to be much happier lately. On the other hand, some of them naturally brought up Eren and the plan to keep my mind off the brat was ruined, although it was endearing to hear how others were glad that the two of us were together. No one, not even Jean seemed to be jealous or inclined to start any trouble between the two of us. That made my life onboard so much easier and I wouldn’t have to murder any of my crew members for attempting to make a move on my brat. 

Since we were now at the end of October, the weather was getting much cooler and that meant we would be repositioning La Liberte to our winter destination. Planning for this was also a welcome responsibility in addition to my normal everyday duties. Constantly monitoring the weather patterns and mapping out the safest route to the Caribbean was a huge priority right now. My ship had made the trip many times before but sometimes, the climate affected the route we took so I had to be constantly diligent along with my other officers. It was a long trip of almost 2 weeks and with the passengers having no stops along the way across the Atlantic, things could get crazy if they weren’t kept entertained. It was funny how just 2 months ago, Eren had mentioned how happy he was that he’d finally get to see the Caribbean as L’Etoile didn’t go to that destination. He had come up with quite a few engaging activities and themes for the passengers during our Transatlantic crossing so it seemed such a shame he was no longer the Cruise Director. Eren was more than delighted to share his ideas with Riko so she could implement them if she wanted; however, I still felt badly that Eren wouldn’t get the credit he deserved for his suggestions. Eren was ecstatic that his ideas might still get to be utilized and he couldn’t wait to get there. I had to agree as I much preferred milder temperatures to the chilly evenings we started to experience. And I had one other thing I was greatly looking forward to during that long journey. There would be two Captain Gala dinners in addition to two other fully, themed dinners where all of the wait staff, including Eren would have fancy costumes tailored to the event. If only I had been asked to help design them....

That week, I had no less than three dreams of Eren in all different sorts of outfits for the themed dinners we had planned. Each one of them was more risqué and sexy than the last. And of course for my eyes only. My favorites were a cowboy outfit where he wore tight, brown leather, ass-less chaps and a tiny suede vest over his shirtless torso, complete with hat and boots and a sexy, flamenco dancer where his black pants were so tight I could see every curve of his most intimate parts, a red rose in his mouth and his toned upper body glistened with nothing but a sheen of perspiration. I couldn’t tell which one I preferred more as both of them woke me up with the worst case of morning wood I have ever experienced. That first morning had been awful as not even a cold shower helped alleviate the throbbing and only after I sat down and started some inventory reports, did the erection dissipate. The second time it happened that week, I experienced a godsend in the form of a certain head waiter who was moonlighting as an angel that morning. 

The knock on my door startled me until I heard a pleasing voice announcing that Eren had brought me some tea. He tried to do this as often as possible but we both knew his schedule wouldn’t always allow it and it had been a few days since he’d been available to do a morning visit. I also refused to be spoiled like some Siamese cat having things brought to me on a silver platter, no matter how much I enjoyed it. However, on that particular morning, I had never been more grateful for his doting. I opened the door and grabbed his arm as quickly as possible. “Get your sweet ass in here,” I said as I was pulling him in and shutting the door quickly behind him. “Thank the heavens you are here, Eren. I need you to do me huge favor.”

“Of course, Captain. What do you need?” he asked innocently, probably expecting me to send him off for a slice of lemon or maybe a pastry. Possibly even something as unexpected as a cup of coffee, since I rarely indulge in that stuff. I couldn’t wait to see the expression on his face when I told him what I wanted him to do while I fantasized about him wearing one of the outfits I had dreamed about. 

“I need you to suck my cock.”

Those gorgeous green eyes of his grew even wider than I ever thought possible and the slightest smirk graced his face. “How could I possibly deny such a needy request? May I ask what has you so hot and bothered this morning that you need me to take care of this big problem you seem to have here in your boxers?” He purred as he inched closer to me and placed his warm hand on my overly sensitive and completely engorged erection. I thought I just might blow my load right then and there.

“It’s all your fucking fault. You and those damned uniform changes you’re going to have on our Transatlantic voyage. My dreams have been plagued with your sexy ass in all kinds of erotic outfits.” I huffed as Eren’s hands grabbed me by the waist and pulled my boxers down until they fell to my ankles. The cool breeze on my already dripping member helped alleviate the pressure slightly but I was waiting on pins and needles for Eren to envelope me completely in his mouth.

“Who knew you were into some sort of dress-up fetish?” He teased as he lowered himself to eye level with my cock, his luscious lips just millimeters from the tip.  
“I never knew either but I guess my subconscious has something to say about it, hmm?” I said as I ran my fingers through his messy brown hair and nudged him slightly forward so his mouth was making the tiniest whispers of a touch against me. I shuddered slightly at the sensation of his warm breath and moist lips and then he swallowed me whole in one swift motion.

“Fuck! Eren! Hrn..so good.” I moaned and gripped his hair tighter in my hands and he began to bob up and down in a painfully sweet rhythm. I was already so wound up and aroused from my dreams that it took no time at all under the ministrations of his warm mouth and slippery tongue slithering up and down my shaft. I tried to warn him when I was at the edge but all I could muster was a louder moan and I pulled harder than I should have on his disorderly chocolate locks. Just as I started to release into his mouth, he took his hand that had been holding the base of my cock and had gotten quite wet and removed it. Before I could even register what he was doing, he slammed two fingers into me, assaulting my prostate with a sudden shock of pleasure. Everything went bright and then blank as an electric-type bolt of pleasure raced through my entire body and I felt like I literally exploded in his mouth with such force he was pushed back slightly. I felt my legs give out as I started to slump down to the floor. Eren’s arms caught me at one point and I felt him lift me up and place me on the couch. It took me a few moments to recover and gain my wits back. I looked around and Eren had gotten a cloth to clean me up and to bring me my teacup. 

“Thank you, Eren. That was fucking amazing but a little bit brash at the end there, don’t you think? I have a full day’s work ahead of me and I almost passed out. Where the hell did you learn to do these things, brat?” I smirked as sat up and took a sip of my tea.

“I think instinct just takes over. Your body tells me what it wants and I just try to give it to you. Although I admit I wasn’t expecting that sort of demand from you this morning. I just wanted to treat you to some tea.” He laughed mischievously and I couldn’t resist the urge to kiss him. I could feel he had gotten quite hard as well and I was more than willing to return the favor now that the tea was helping me get my strength back.

Just then, there was a knock on my door. I broke away from the kiss. “Shit, who the hell could that be? Quick Eren, go into my bathroom and I’ll try to make this speedy.” I pulled my clothes back to their normal places and tried to un-tousle my hair before going to the door. There was another knock just as I was opening the door. “Impatient are we?” I yelled as I took in the person on front of me.

“Sorry to bother you Captain, but the Commander just faxed this article over to you and he wanted to make sure I got it to you right away. Seems that La Liberte has won another award and this article goes into detail what the honor was for and shows some pictures of the ship and her crew.”

“Thank you, Kirschstein. Sorry I was in the bathroom when you first knocked. I need to get ready to start the day unless there was anything else?” I asked, hoping he would go away so I could get my day started and Eren out of my room before anyone noticed.

“No sir, that was all the Commander told me. Although, have you seen Jaeger? He said he had an errand to run and would be right back in a few minutes to change for the day and that was over 30 minutes ago.”

“Ahem” I coughed. “Haven’t seen him yet this morning. You know Jaeger. Probably got caught up in a conversation with someone. I am positive he’ll be back soon.”

“Of course, Captain. Thank you, sir. I’ll just be going now.” Jean said as he left slightly flustered. Seemed he still had a slight fear that I would one day beat the hell out of him. If he made a nasty habit of interrupting our sexy times, I just might still consider it. When I no longer heard the footsteps down the hallway, I called for Eren.

“You can come out now, brat. Horseface is gone but he seemed to be worried about you taking too long for your ‘errand’.”

“Whew, glad that was nothing urgent. But I heard the ship won an award?”

“Yes, seems that way but I don’t have time to read the article now. Maybe you can come back later tonight and we can read it together and continue where we left off this morning. I’m sorry we have to cut our time short and I didn’t get to reciprocate after you dropped everything to take care of my needs.”

“It was my pleasure. And that sounds like a terrific plan to me. I’ll see you tonight.” He said as he sauntered out the door, I swore with his sexy ass just teasing me to grab it and bring it back inside my room for a proper fucking. I closed the door and sighed. “Damn that kid knows just how to heat me up and boil me over. I hope I can make it until tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Eren, left hanging like that but I know our Captain will be sure to take care of him. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I somehow made it through the day, surviving on the afterglow of our brief morning interlude. I hadn’t even given myself a break to read over the article the Commander had sent over. I wanted to experience it firsthand with Eren. Wow, I could not believe how sappy I had become that now every little menial task I performed is with full reflection of how that brat will react or if it will make him happy. Even scarier was that my own happiness meter was directly correlated to his. How was it that our once separate lives had become so permanently intertwined that I no longer even considered myself without putting him into the equation? When had that even happened and why couldn’t I even breathe properly anymore if I so much as thought Eren and I had an issue? The thought of being without him was crushing to my poor little heart. Thank goodness I was in good health or the roller coaster of highs when we would be together and then the crashing lows when we had to separate would be killing me. I never appreciated all of the fruity, frozen concoctions that our bars served but now I could totally relate to them as I felt as if I had been placed in a blender and mixed all up. All of this could be triggered by just a simple, casual glance from a certain teal-eyed waiter and I couldn’t even determine if this fact infuriated me or made me the happiest man in the world.

Before I knew it, those eyes along with the rest of the perfect package that was Eren arrived at my door that evening. 

“Good evening Captain. Ready to read over that article about the award?” he asked and I had to think about it for a moment, having totally forgotten about the article the moment he arrived and affected my blood pressure and pulse. Stupid brat was going to kill me one day when my poor little heart won’t be able to withstand the abuse anymore. 

“Sure. Just give me a moment to get it. Would you like something to drink?” I asked as I retrieved the papers from the dresser where I threw them that morning. 

“Are you asking me if you want an encore production of this morning?” he teased with that mischievous, yet innocent glint he gets in those beautiful eyes. I thought to myself that I most certainly wanted many repeat performances of that morning; however, that was not the time for such a thing. 

“Don’t get cheeky or I won’t be returning the favor later on.” I joked back. I got two water bottles for the both of us and made sure to place 2 coasters on my table in front of the couch where I gestured for him to sit down next to me. 

He immediately plopped down with a bounce next to me, leaning onto my shoulder to look at the article I held in my hands. “So, let’s see this award stuff. Was it for best food? Best Captain?”

I nudged him slightly, “Calm down, brat. I haven’t read it yet myself. I was waiting for you.”

“Really? You didn’t even look to see what the award was for? You’re so considerate,” he cooed as he batted those long eyelashes at me.

“Jerk- flattery will not get you anywhere,” I yelled but deep down I got that warm feeling I always experienced from the day he first came onboard and complimented me. I had received tons of empty praise that meant nothing to me over the years but there was just something about the way he expressed himself that churned me up and melted my icy exterior.

“That’s ok. I know exactly what gets you going, but let’s check the article first.” I can’t believe how impudent he is sometimes so I could only sigh and started skimming through the paperwork. 

Seems we had been nominated for three awards. ‘Cleanest and Best Maintained Ship’- big shock there considering I personally made sure every nook and cranny of La Liberte was scrubbed from top to bottom every day. So of course, we took home that honor by a landslide over others that were considered. We were also recognized for “Best Activities” but it turned out that we did not take home this title since they mentioned that recently we had changed Cruise Directors and while the new one was doing a great job, the article said she lacked the charisma and enthusiasm of the prior one. I looked over at Eren and he just humphed at me, but his smile betrayed the fact that he was honored they thought of him highly. There was even had a captioned photo of him alongside the paragraphs. He was quite photogenic, even the bright sun in the background paled in comparison. Unlike my photo on the next page, in which I looked pristine in my uniform whites, however, I was glaring as if I was about to shoot lasers out of my eyes. The third nomination was for “Most Creative Dining” and while our meal selections onboard were vast and plentiful, we stayed on the more conservative side. Our presentations were very colorful and unique but it appeared we did not win this award since we did not offer outlandish creations like sushi pizza or other such nonsense. I had always felt that odd combinations of food, while different would not appeal to the majority of the passengers, and would just be a waste of high-quality food and the chefs’ time. So I was perfectly satisfied with the one honor we had been given. There had been numerous distinctions bestowed upon La Liberte before and hopefully would continue to do well with the critics and customers. 

“That’s incredible. Three nominations from just one place and we actually won one of them. I’m so proud to be on this ship and I know you are the reason behind most of this. How many awards have you won over the last few years?” Eren asked looking like an excited puppy.

“I really never counted how many. Erwin hired me for this new ship five years ago when I retired from the Navy. It was unheard of to bring in a new Captain who had never worked in the Cruise Industry before but he knew I wouldn’t take any shit and would run the crew like clockwork. I may not be all jovial and personable and all that gibberish but I get the job done and our ship wins awards for the excellence we all work so hard for. That’s all there is to it. Recognition is great but was never my main driving force. Seems that the critics who wrote this article were upset you are no longer Cruise Director or we probably would have cinched a second award too.”

He chuckled slightly, “Well, I don’t care how many distinctions we would have earned, I am more than thrilled to be in the position I am in now.”

“Your position with the ship or your position on my couch?” I asked, my thoughts turned to all kinds of poses I’d love to see Eren in.

He laughed in reply and whispered “Both” as he leaned in to initiate a series of kisses along my ear and down the side of my face to my neck. I groaned loudly as he bit down slightly on my neck and collarbone knowing he didn’t want to leave any incriminating marks behind even though I would be proud to show them off. I then would make sure I left a few of my own behind on his sexy body as well. 

As the intensity of our kisses heated up, so did our bodies and soon I could feel the hardness of Eren nudging against me. I had waited all day to return the favor from the beginning of the day. “Brat, have you been thinking about what I said this morning?”

“Are you kidding me, it was all I could think about. Your sweet lips locked around my cock, dripping wet and warm all down my shaft and touching my ass pulling me in further down your throat.” 

“Such a naughty boy thinking about things like that during your work day. You’re lucky you didn’t cause an accident. I’ll just have to do something about such behavior.” I didn’t even give him a moment to reply before I had tugged down his pants and boxers in one swift motion and then almost immediately, bent down to take his entire length into my mouth. 

“Ngh...Levi...ahh. Give me some warning next time...” he huffed as I licked his shaft up and down, moaning as I went at, the sensation from how warm he was urging me on even more.

And heaven knows he tasted so good. I couldn’t help but devour him whole over and over again-up and down, humming slightly as I went. I could definitely tell he had been thinking about it all day since he was overly excited and barely able to contain himself, thrashing and moaning in ecstasy. After just a few minutes, he warned me he was about to come and I began to suck just a little harder and take him just a little deeper until I could feel his whole body shudder and a rush of fluid release down my throat. I licked up any drops that tried to escape and then got up to get a towel to clean him up some.

When we were done with that Ww just cuddled on the couch for an hour, just enjoying the peace and quiet that was only marred by our beating hearts. I had never been one for post-sex snuggling- it was always uncomfortable and awkward but it never felt that way with Eren. It’s like we just fit together perfectly and it just felt right. We both wanted to stay like that all night but we knew that wasn’t a good idea- we had to save that gift for special occasions only. Eren got up to get ready to leave and made sure to bestow a huge goodnight kiss on my lips. I returned the kiss 100 fold and held on as I long as I could before we grudgingly admitted he needed to get back to his room.

“We need to win awards more often if we get to do that each time,” he said as he entered the hallway.

“Silly brat. We sure as hell don’t need an award as an excuse, Eren. I thought we had an open invitation to partake whenever we wanted?”

“Anytime we want, Levi? That might be difficult since I want you all of the time.”

I felt myself blush slightly at his words, still marveling at his boldness that manifests itself sometimes.

“Then we’ll just have to make sure to do it enough to last until the next time. Good night Eren.”

“Good night, mon amour,” he replied and left, leaving me trembling slightly from how sexy his voice was using my native tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope everyone loves cuddly-time Levi and Eren as much as I do.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Sadly, reality was a bitch and there was never time enough time to fully quench our thirst for each other. However, we made the best of what opportunities we had. Time flew by and before we knew it, it was time to make our Transatlantic crossing so we could head to the warm waters of the Caribbean for the winter months. Eren had gotten decidedly more energetic each day leading up to that journey. The prospect of exotic menus, costume changes and a chance to get to swim in the crystal-clear waters of the seas there made him buzz with excitement like a kid before Christmas. I would swear that I could feel tiny vibrations coming from his mouth when he sucked me off one evening. 

I had to admit I always enjoyed this time of the year as well since the tropical islands were like a far-away paradise, so different from my beloved home in France. The morning we left France, it was bitter cold, so we couldn’t have departed for the Caribbean at a better time. It always saddened me just a tiny bit however to leave my home country and my cozy townhome. Who the hell knew why since I spent such little time there, but a small dose of homesickness still settled in halfway across the sea to our destination. Maybe it was the culture shock- I never felt quite at ease with the laid-back island lifestyle, always being raised as formal and proper. I don’t think I even possess the ability to act ‘casual’ unless maybe my life depended on it. But the mild temperatures provided more than enough compensation for any negligible issues I fought with.

Seemed the anxiousness was contagious as the entire ship was fully abuzz with excitement as we left- both passengers and crew alike, more than ready to reach milder climates. For the first time ever, Eren and Rico had planned so many activities during this cruise that even I knew there was no way anyone could proclaim they had even a moment of boredom during the two-week journey. In the past, most passengers got stir-crazy after the first full week, not having any stops to distract and entertain them. Many of the crew, like myself were in the Navy, or other branch of military service prior to their employment here. Therefore two weeks was nothing to us; having been stuck at sea for months at a time with no reprieve. I guess Eren being dragged all over the planet with his parents on humanitarian missions also prepared him for such a trip. This was not the case for most of our guests though, who were not used to being confined to a relatively small place for extended periods of time and what seemed like a relaxing and fun voyage can turn into a never-ending nightmare for some. Hopefully, all of the extra-curricular activity would pacify almost everyone.

As we pulled away from the dock to leave France, his beautiful eyes were brighter than ever as we sailed off. If I was truly honest with myself, I was pretty excited about the trip as well, although for the least pure reasons as ever there were. I couldn’t wait for those 2 special, themed dinners. Eren had sensed my excitement about this a few weeks ago and had been teasing me excessively for that entire time that he had personally worked with the uniform crew to make sure his 2 outfits would be especially wonderful. Of course, his teasing had poured a deluge of fuel onto my fiery imagination and I found both my waking and unconscious dreams filled with visions of his picture-perfect body in various costumes than ran from the intimidating to the downright scandalous. I tried to keep my poker face on when Eren approached me when we left to start the trip; however, he must have been some sort of mind-reader to immediately remind me that he would be all dressed up in just 2 more days. I could only stare at him, reminded by the dream I had just experienced the evening before of him in nothing but a sheer pair of harem pants and dripping with thin golden chains and jewels; he was like a veritable genie that I was begging wishes from. And from the state of my morning wood when I woke up, I would have to say he was ready to grant at least one of them.

I tried my best to get him to spill at least a hint about what he’d be wearing but he was intent on keeping both costumes a secret from me. I even stooped so low ,as my imagination was getting out of hand, consuming every free moment I had, that I begged Dr. Zoe to give me just a tidbit of information. 

“I just can’t Captain. I have been sworn to secrecy. The only thing I can tell you is that you’ll be very happy with both. He modeled them for me the other day. The one that he’s wearing in two days is just delicious but wait until you see the one he helped design for next week’s gala. I couldn’t pick my jaw up off the floor all day.” I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake the images she had seen from her mind so I could have a preview; however, my proper sense of morality prevented such behavior.

“I can’t believe this. Making me wait and then teasing me all along while I suffer in ignorance. My poor heart can’t take this.” I growled. I’ll just have to rely on my dreams for the next two days before I can indulge in the first of two sights. 

Hanji tried to console me as best as she could, “It will be worth the wait, Captain, I am willing to bet money on it.”

I could only walk away, dejected, with a new mantra to keep my hopes up. Only 2 more days, 2 more days.

“Son of a bitch, two days have never gone by so fucking slowly.” I muttered to myself. But the light at the end of the tunnel was in sight and that evening, the first outfit that Eren had teased me about mercilessly would be revealed. I made sure I got plenty of sleep the night before so my eyes would be perfectly keen to not miss a single centimeter of Eren goodness. When I entered the dining room with a few of the other officers, we all made a collective gasp. The entire room had been transformed to look like it belonged right at home on a pirate ship Colorful decorations of fake parrots adorned the corners, a few cannons were strategically placed as were a skeleton or two. The middle of the room was set up with tropical flowers a huge Pirate’s chest overflowing with gold coins (plastic of course). The linens on the table were all tattered and singed as candles flickered everywhere, casting an amber glow. The atmosphere was perfect. It really inspired me to want to pillage and plunder. Speaking of which, once I was over the initial awe of the decor, I quickly scanned the room before I took a seat to get a long-awaited glance at a certain, green-eyed man. Damn, I couldn’t find him anywhere, so I was forced to sit down at the head table and wait. 

The first thing I noticed was that none of the servers were in the room, even though everyone was already seated- passengers and officers alike. Before I had long to ponder the reason for their absence, suddenly pirate music began to play. From the kitchen doorway, came a parade of the servers, each one dressed as a pirate, though none quite alike and each waving a pirate flag. The procession continued around the room until all of the servers gathered in the middle by the treasure chest. While everyone’s attention was focused on the middle of the room, a loud call came from the doorway and in rushed the most gorgeous, sexy pirate that ever sailed the seven seas. A scoundrel that I was lucky enough to call mine. I immediately recalled what Hanji had said about her jaw hitting the floor and I was recreating that action one hundred fold. I couldn’t tear my eyes away for even a moment- I didn’t blink for a solid five minutes as I started at the top of his head adorned with an elegant black velvet hat with a huge ostrich feather fanning out behind it. He had a lace-up white guaze shirt that was shamelessly unlaced and almost dangerously sheer. Maybe it seemed more see-through than it actually was with my personal knowledge of the toned chest and bronzed nipples that rested just beneath the fabric, but I could swear that very little was left to the imagination. Next, I gazed lower to find a pair of form-fitting black pants complete with a huge leather belt that hung low on his hips and contained a holster for his plastic pirate sword. Every once in a while he would brandish the sword as he pranced around the room before replacing it back in its scabbard. Phallic symbolism much? I tried not to dwell on that too much since I still had the entire meal still ahead of us, so I continued to take in the bottom half of Eren’s costume, hoping that his lower legs and feet would help calm down my racing heart, not normally being an overly exciting part of anatomy. Well, shit, I couldn’t have been more wrong since his legs were graced with shiny tight boots that just went over his knee. There was just enough of a chunky heel to make them sexy without being feminine in any way. I could immediately picture myself, starting at the bottom of those boots and licking my way all the way up his leg and now, not only was my heart racing, but my nether region was now totally on fire and my pants were getting tighter by the moment. 

The song mercifully ended a minute later and Eren welcomed everyone to La Liberte’s first ever Pirate Dinner. The servers dispersed and started to serve the first course to everyone. The food smelled delicious but I had no appetite at all. I was too busy trying to get myself back under control. By the time the dessert course was being passed out to everyone, the majority of the pressure in my pants was gone. While everyone was still finishing up, I excused myself from the table and walked over to Eren who was blessedly alone for a moment. 

“My quarters in 30 minutes. Captain’s orders.” I said just loudly enough for Eren’s ears only.

All I got in return was a quick wink but that was confirmation enough. I all but ran back to my room to prepare for some private, pirate shenanigans. The knock on the door occurred what seemed like just a few moments after I got back and I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. I was careful in removing the outfit in case he would get to wear it again someday- even if just for my eyes only. I totally plundered his luscious booty all night long and yes, I made him put those damned boots back on because naked Eren in nothing but sexy boots really got my inspiration flowing. If this was the lesser sexy of the two outfits, I was in for some real trouble next week. I was in some major danger of just cumming right in my pants at the dining table and Eren knew it, that smug little brat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There were so many sexy outfits I could see Eren in - it was so hard to choose just 2 but I think the ones I picked work best with the story. Can't wait for the next chapter for more fun times. I just wish I could draw- I've seen some awesome artwork of Pirate Eren and Levi and they just inspired this portion of the story so much. Hope you enjoyed!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to add a trigger warning here up front. There is brief mention of suicide in this chapter so please be aware of that before reading just in case that would be upsetting to you. I tried to not make this chapter too heavy but there was a plot point I needed to have to continue the story along.

Chapter 21.

After getting my fill of Eren and his sweet treasure, I was able to enjoy a few days of non-distraction and was fully sated. But as the next week approached, the realization that the unveiling of the Eren’s second special themed outfit hit me like a ton of bricks. I still couldn’t even begin to fathom what he had planned but if Hanji’s forewarning that the next one was better than the first was true, I didn’t know if I would be surviving the next Captain’s gala dinner. I might just have to warn my first and second officers that they will need to step in immediately when I go down. 

As another safety measure, I might just have to get a huge button made that I can pin on that head waiter of mine that says Property of the Captain. I obviously was not the only one captivated by the sultry pirate as he pranced around the dining room. We may only have eyes for each other; however, there were way too many lecherous stares coming from the scattered, passenger tables. I know that if looks could kill, quite a few of our customers would have been melted down to a charred puddle of goo from the gaze I sent their way. At least everyone at the Officer’s table had the common sense to spare nothing more than a quick glance at what they already knew was mine and mine alone. 

I didn’t even bother trying to pry information out of anyone this time around- knowing that it would just be futile. I instead came up with a little distraction to help pass the time when I wasn’t knee-deep in work. The second week of this type of journey was always a bit more hectic for me, as I had to ensure all of the ships records were up to date and there was a ton of paperwork to be filled out since we would be headed to a port that was not our home-based location. We merely rented out this spot to use during the few winter months when the climate was too cold to continue in France. Some cruise ships just take a few months break but La Liberte was too popular to have a lapse in service. The customer’s would never stand for it and I personally would not know what to do with myself for a few months away from my job. So to keep my sanity, I picked one outfit per day that I thought Eren might have chosen and imagined every little detail of said outfit from head to toe. I spent endless time fantasizing about Eren and lots of accessories that he might choose. Hats, gloves, suspenders to hold onto and of course, my favorite accessory, a tiny teal green string bikini brief. The color matched his eyes perfectly and complemented his tanned skin tone beautifully. Not to mention how it accentuated his luscious ass cheeks and showed off just enough of his curves in front to tease at the treasure located just below the thin fabric. Those visions kept me sane until the next Captain’s Gala since we barely saw enough of each other- just our daily brief encounters during jogging and exercising. 

It was getting painfully ridiculous at just how little we actually got to see each other- actually spend some quality time with each other. The loneliness was growing exponentially. I was happier than I had been since my childhood, but whenever we were separated for too long, it hurt my heart. I started thinking of small ways we could steal a few moments away each day; however, there was one thought that started to nag me every day. Something I shouldn’t even be thinking of at this point but damn it all, I couldn’t help but fantasize about such a wonderful solution to our issues. 

I pushed that thought from my mind for the time being, knowing that the seed had been planted. I just had to wait to see what would bloom from it at some point down the road. As for the moment, I had that evening to look forward to another wonderful surprise from Eren. After what seemed like an eternity of mindless chatter with the guests, who despite having lots of activities to keep them occupied, still wanted to talk my ear off about all of the wonderful things they got to do on the cruise and how most would be happy to get back to land. Like I always said, most people were not cut out to spend this much time at sea- the landlubbers. 

When I finally broke free from the crowd and everyone took their seats for dinner, I noticed the theming wasn’t as extreme as the pirate night from the week before. There were lots of bright and colorful floral arrangements all around and the lights were set up differently but not a hint to give away what to expect. I had promised myself that I would be sure to shove as much food into my stomach before I was overwhelmed with Eren’s presence since I had found myself ravenous the morning after our last encounter of pure plundering. The first course arrived a few moments after I had sat down so got right down to enjoying the lovely vichyssoise. Our chefs truly made some of the best French cuisine anywhere. When I finished my bowl of soup, I looked up and there he was. I had an unobstructed view of the most gorgeous creature on this planet. I guess there was no pre-dinner spectacle like last week, so Eren had already started making his rounds to greet each of the tables personally to ensure everyone’s dining experience was just right. I was suddenly filled with the most vicious jealousy ever as I wanted no one else to even dare to cast their eyes on my love. He was dressed so provocatively, it should have been illegal and who knows, in some places it might already be. He had on skin-hugging, black dance tights. I looked up and down along those legs of his numerous times and they seemed to go on forever. Not to mention that he absolutely had to be going full commando to wear that sort of thing and I fucking could not tear my eyes away. Up above, I had to do a double take since it looked like he was going topless and only covered by a small, sequin embellished black bolero jacket. But upon closer scrutiny as he weaved among the tables, flashing his smile and bright eyes, I saw the lights reflect what was a skin-toned mesh shirt. So it just gave the illusion of his being without a shirt. He carried with him a magnificent, ruby red, long-stemmed rose to complete the package of some sort of Latin dancer. A part of me wanted to run up to him and rip a tablecloth off of one of the tables and completely cover him up so no one else could bear witness to the sight before me; the other part of me didn’t give two shits about all of the other people in the room. I just wanted to tear his stupid, sexy as hell outfit right off of him and fuck him right there on the nearest table. 

Obviously, my dick thought the second option there was the better idea and I unexpectedly started hoping for ice cream for dessert. It was not my favorite sweet indulgence, but I figured I could effectively use it to assist me with the extreme tightness in my pants if I happened to “accidentally” drop the entire bowl of frozenness in my lap. Too bad I had no idea what would be served as dessert until the meal was over. By the time, he had made his way halfway around the room, the main course was served and I forced myself to eat as much as possible while continuing to steal the occasional glance at the tantalizing man who would be reaching our table shortly.

After the dishes were cleared off from the main course and before dessert was brought out, all of the servers gathered in the center of the room, Eren in the middle of them all. The music cranked up and soon all of the servers were performing a simplified version of a Samba. It was very sensual to see the display of them swaying in and out of the table but my eyes were focused on the main attraction. The lights seemed to shine just for him, glinting off the sequins and the sheen of his outfit, making him seem ephemeral as his gracefully danced around, his muscles flexing in time with the music and also the red rose in his mouth made me mad with desire. While not elaborate in its choreography, it was still executed by everyone very nicely overall. I almost forgot those people were waiters, not dancers. The guests and crew all seemed to enjoy it and I can assure you my need for some ice cream became more urgent than ever.

 

Ironically, just as the dessert course was being served, -sadly Mille-feuille not ice cream but, my favorite dessert also arrived at the table in all of his glory. He wished me a good evening and placed a tiny card and the rose he had been dancing around with him at the head of my place setting. When I reached down to grab the card and then look up to read it, he had already moved away- finishing up his greetings for the evening. The card said just a few words. “Meet me in the Pearl Ballroom in an hour. Love and Kisses, Eren.”

The Pearl Ballroom? Why would he want to meet there? It’s just an open room with a small dance floor that is sometimes rented out by passengers to host private functions. That was the smallest of the ballrooms onboard, so it was usually utilized for smaller affairs like birthdays or family reunions, where the Diamond and Emerald ballrooms were bigger and often hosted weddings and receptions. Whatever his plans were, I couldn’t begin to imagine that they would be any help to the big, leaking problem I had in my lap right now. I might have to act all ignorant that my napkin was stuck in my pants and purposely not notice until I got back to my room. I’m sure if I glared enough, no one would dare question the reason behind the strategically placed piece of cloth covering my crotch. I just had to make it to the elevator and down a few floors to my quarters so I could change. 

As luck would have it, I only ran across Kirschtein on the way back to my room and from the look on his face, he was smart enough to figure out why it was there and even smarter still, not to bother questioning it. Once I was able to change into more comfortable clothing, I found I was distracted enough to prevent any repeat tenting in my pants as I made my way toward the Pearl Ballroom. It was located on the other side of the ship and I didn’t want to risk being late for our little rendezvous that I had been looking forward to all week. 

When I reached the room, I found the door unlocked and the lights already on. As I entered the room, the smell of roses greeted me. There weren’t many of them, but 2 large bouquets in beautiful crystal vases were placed at the entrance pedestals. There was no other furniture set up in the room, but the lights over the dance floor were on. I still wasn’t sure what to expect and would just have to trust in what Eren had planned. As long as it didn’t involve attempting to make love on that hard-ass floor- I was way too old for that shit and would just have to drag him back to my room and my perfectly comfortable bed. 

I’m not sure how much time passed but it couldn’t have been very long, but soon I heard the door open and then some footsteps and the lock on the door being engaged. I turned around quickly and again was in awe of how amazing he looked in that outfit. He walked over to me and I didn’t say anything- waited for him to explain what this was all about. 

I looked up into his eyes and he said only one sentence and I my heart skipped a beat or two. “Captain, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

I could feel my head nodding slightly on instinct- I would most likely have agreed to anything he would have asked me at that point. Eren walked over to one of the pedestals and there was a tiny speaker with his Ipod connected to it. He came back over to me, took me by the hand and led me over to the dance floor as the music started. I got so lost in the twirling, dipping, and swaying together, so warm and close to each other, our heartbeats seemed to battle against each other’s chests. I couldn’t even begin to tell what type of music we were even dancing to. There was just a subtle rhythm that our bodies detected and moved along to as if by instinct alone. Like a fountain, I could feel all of my emotions rise up and overflow back down through all of me. It was as if the rest of the universe didn’t exist and I was only snapped out of my reverie when Eren stopped and looked at me with concern. “Levi, why are you crying? Am I that bad of a dancer? Did I step on your foot or something?” 

I raised my one hand up to my left cheek and was shocked to feel the wetness there. I had been crying without realizing it. I immediately knew why, though I had subconsciously pushed the reason aside. Eren was looking for an answer and I owed it to him, despite the pain it would dredge up. 

“It’s not you at all Eren- this was magical. You never cease to amaze me. You are a great dancer. It just must have triggered a memory I have long held down. I haven’t danced for many years; I just couldn’t bring myself to after I lost my mother.” The tears started to flow harder at the mention of her.

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s ok. I don’t want to force you,” Eren said holding me closer. I needed to tell him so I continued.

“My mother was a professional dancer. We always danced together when I was younger. Since my father was away on the Navy most of the time, we only had each other. I loved my father and respected him for his bravery and sense of duty; but for every strict, stern part of him, my mother was gentle and sweet. Ballet was her favorite and her petite frame made her perfect for it. I guess I took after her in that. I have my father’s eyes and hair but built much like my mom. I was a senior in high school when we got the news my father had been killed in the line of duty. My mother was devastated. She refused to dance anymore and fell into depression. I was dealing with the grief in my own way by lashing out and getting into fights at school. I was stupid and selfish- I didn’t see the warning signs. I came home one day and found her on the floor, cold and lifeless. She didn’t want to go on without the love of her life and I was being such a little shit, she must have felt she had lost me too. So from then on, I refused to ever dance again. I graduated from high school a few months later and immediately joined the French Navy so obviously there were few opportunities for any type of dancing.” There- I had said it all- as painful as it was, I felt better getting it out in the open. Eren was the only person in the world I ever felt that comfortable opening myself up to and as he held me tightly and comforted all my tears away, I knew he was that one in a million chance to be with that one special person who you can be yourself with for the rest of your life. 

After a few more minutes of him assuring me that what had happened was not my fault and I was not some heartless monster, he kissed me tenderly and picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and let him carry me out of the ballroom. We headed back to my room, kissing as we went along. It had truly been an amazing experience and even though it had triggered some aching memories, I had been able to find some closure, accepting finally that I was helpless to change the outcome. This man had helped me to see what was truly important and I wanted to show him just how precious he was to me. Our kisses became more heated as we got closer to my quarters and our hands started wandering as much as was possible was being held. Right before we made it to my door, we all but bumped into Jean and almost knocked him over, since our attention was focused solely on each other, not some idiot who was wandering around the hallway. He looked at us in shock and all I could think of was why does it always have to be fucking Kirschtein we run into in the corridors – twice in one day for me at least , both times with an erection. At least this time, mine was ground up against Eren and not just poorly covered by a napkin. 

“Sorry Captain! I wasn’t looking,” he squeaked and then began to run down the hallway as Eren put me down and got my key from my pocket.

“Poor Jean- he still lives in fear that you will beat him up one day,” Eren laughed as he unlocked my door. We stepped inside quickly in case anyone else was lurking around. 

“He’ll get over it one day.” I replied.

“Now about this outfit of yours. How quickly can you get out of it or would it be easier for me to just rip it right off?” I purred looking over at him one more time before I made sure he was fully naked in just a few moments.

“Whatever pleases you more,” he responded with a flirtatious smirk.

“As much as I like it, I don’t think I could stand others seeing you in that again,” I growled as I found that the lovely fabric tore easily.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

We continued our dancing through the wee hours of the morning, most of it being horizontally but still some vertically, as I found I loved the feeling of being in his arms, our warmth melding together like molten ribbons of caramel and chocolate. Perfectly integrated and complementary to each other. It was graceful and passionate, not rushed in any way but still held that desperation we both felt when we were away from each other’s touch for an extended time. 

Eren knew exactly what I needed that night; I may have finally felt a heavy burden lifted from my heart but it had definitely drained me. After ripping off that outfit, Eren tenderly removed my clothing from top to bottom, kissing and licking lightly to the exposed skin he had just revealed. I hated to seem greedy but I just reveled in his touch, enjoying each moment of the care he was lavishing on every part of my body. The traces he left on my skin tingled slightly and electrified all of my senses. He made sure to concentrate on my most sensitive parts and I tried to reciprocate as often as possible by gently running my hands through his hair or stroking his cheek lovingly as we gazed into each other’s eyes, lost in all of the feeling pooled deep within. To say that our lovemaking that evening was perfection would have been pretentious but I had never felt more cherished, more willing to open myself up fully and totally surrender to the man sharing my bed and my life. Even the ocean itself was ideal that evening, just a hint of subtle rocking to lull us both into total contentment. 

After a while, we had been in motion so much, I couldn’t even tell the difference between the shifting of the boat and our own perpetual movements. By now, Eren knew exactly where I kept all of my supplies and he had become an expert of retrieving them without losing contact with me. Our lips still played with each other while he lubricated his deft fingers. Then once he was ready, his lips left mine and traveled down my midsection, slowly, torturous as it was so soft that it almost tickled. He reached my extremely over-sensitive cock and gave a tenuous lick, as if he knew I probably couldn’t take much teasing tonight to start out with. I had already been aroused and re-aroused countless times, starting back at dinner with him in that perfectly scandalous dancer’s outfit. That same outfit that now lay ruined on my floor. It had been fucking sexy as hell, but I refused to let anyone else ever see that sight again. Luckily I would forever have a picture perfect memory of it etched in my brain for the rest of my life. On top of that Eren still had that tantalizing pirate outfit that I would be more than happy to have him wear again for my personal viewing pleasure. I might even have a similar one made for me, so we could have a little dress-up fun and plunder each other as often as we wanted. 

For now, Eren continued to just lavish subtle kisses all up and down my erection and roll my nipples slightly between the fingers of his left hand. With his right hand, he agonizingly toyed around with my ass, ensuring the lube was well spread around before attempting to push his way inside. Once he had gotten sufficient results, he added that second heavenly finger that always managed to hit just the right spot and he certainly didn’t disappoint this time around either. Before long, I was a complete wreck, moaning and arching off the bed in response to the perfect movements of his appendages. 

“You are so beautiful, Levi,” he whispered over and over and my heart just kept racing faster and faster, partly from the sound of his voice and partly from the perfect aim of his fingers buried deep inside me.

“Eren, please....” I didn’t have much strength to say more, but there was no need to. My body had already been speaking for me, telling Eren that I was more than ready for him. There was little resistance as Eren entered inch by inch, so hot and hard, completely filling me up. 

“Captain, you feel so amazing tonight- it’s like you are on fire. I love you so very much.” He took my left hand and brought it up to his mouth and kissed each finger and then my palm before placing my hand on his chest as he began to move slowly. 

“I love you too, brat.” I somehow managed to complete that short reply despite the fact that my mind was gone, drowning in the pleasure of being filled with Eren. The pace was slow and calculated – each plunge timed perfectly with the waves rolling the ship along. Each thrust sending more and more pleasure through my entire body. Before long we were both fully covered in a sheen of perspiration as the intensity of everything increased and we could only focus on each other’s eyes. I don’t know if it was the primal lust or the unconditional love I saw reflected in those Caribbean-colored pools, but I was suddenly overwhelmed with such a sense of possessiveness that I knew I could not and would not ever let this man go. At that thought, I lost all control and immediately climaxed all over between us with a stifled scream. I didn’t know just how soundproof these walls were and I didn’t want to take a chance testing those parameters. 

Eren’s pace picked up just slightly and he moaned seductively, “Levi....so tight. I can’t hold back anymore.” He soon followed me in ecstasy and I could feel the tremors that wracked his entire body as he came deep inside.   
Once we had both settled down from our highs, Eren gently scooped me up and brought me into the bathroom. “What do you think you are doing, brat?” Don’t get me wrong, I love getting pampered with attention but I refused to be treated like an invalid. I also didn’t mind giving over control sometimes, but carrying me around was a bit extreme and was a blow to my deep sense of pride.

“I thought it would be nice to enjoy a hot bath together. I never got a chance to shower after my shift since I didn’t have ample time to get changed- I knew you’d want an up close and personal look at my outfit.” He started running the water and added a cupful of one of my fancy bubble baths to it. The smell of Muguet des Bois filled the small room.

“Don’t get too cheeky. This tub is bigger than most onboard but still not really meant for two.”

“I think I can make us both fit just fine,” and he hushed me from protesting further with a gentle but passionate kiss that lasted until the tub was almost overflowing with suds. Still carrying me bridal-style, much to my embarrassment, he stepped in and settled down into the hot water and carefully positioned me on his lap. It was definitely a tight fit and he had to fold up his legs but I discovered it wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought. It was actually quite delightful as Eren grabbed two sponges from the side of the tub and we began to lather each other up. “See, we were able to squeeze in ok. Although, it would be perfect if we had our own place one day with a huge soaking tub.”

“Hmpf...you say that because I know you have a kink for sex in tubs, like in the hot tub at the spa that night,” I said as we stopped lathering and just settled back against him, my head almost leaning back on his shoulder, breathing in the steamy air that smelled of Eren and Muguets.

“Hmmm, I never thought about it being a kink but now that you mention it, I do love caressing and exploring your body in the water. Maybe it’s the lack of friction- everything glides so easily like this,” he explained as he reached around and started to slide his hand up and down my cock which had already started to get hard at the mention of his tub kink. I could feel his arousal get more prominent behind me as well. 

I reached back and grabbed a hold of him as well, feeling a small second wind coming on as our touches became more heated. “Two can play at this game.”

“This is the only type of game I want to play and only with you, Captain.”

We continued to increase the intensity of our strokes and my sated body was now on fire again with the touch of his fingers. He kissed and nipped at my neck, being respectful not to leave telltale marks there. I preferred it when he left them where only I could view them and recall the way it felt as Eren was creating them. I could feel the pressure building as our moans grew louder and I had to fight my body’s instinct to push back against him, as having his hard cock brush against my ass was such a tease. I would have been more than accommodating to have him take me again but the tub was not the most convenient place for such a thing. Besides, what we were doing was amazing enough. Soon we were both exploding into the tub and it was time to end our luxurious and once relaxing soak. We both stood up and proceeded to shower each other off as the tub drained. After we dried off, I got two robes from the closet for us both to wrap up in. I’m glad I had a full length one as it was able to fit Eren- otherwise my everyday robe would barely cover his ass and that would just be too tantalizing for words. We never would have gotten an ounce of sleep. 

We cuddled up under the covers and just enjoyed being in each other’s arms until sleep decided to claim us. I remembered my last thoughts before succumbing to slumber were that I never wanted the man next to me to leave my side and that I needed to find a nice jewelry shop soon. There was no way in hell that I was going to risk losing something so precious and perfect. Against my logical side, which was trying to argue that maybe it was too soon, the rest of me was sure that it was time to make him officially mine. My dreams that evening were filled with thoughts of different ways to go about it-it just had to be perfect. As flawless as the ideal gemstone that I would seek out to present to the man who had single-handedly swept me off my feet and opened my eyes to a love that was destined to be.

Note- Muguet Des Bois are Lilies of the Valley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this fluffy chapter! Sadly, I won't be able to upload a chapter next week due to a convention but I will be working on it. In the meantime though I have posted the first chapter of another story I have been working on. I won't update that one regularly until I am almost done this one but I would be so happy if some of you would be so kind to check it out. I just love fairy-tale, royalty stories and hope you do too! It's called Suitors and Sorcery.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

A few days later, we finally arrived in the Caribbean at what would be our home port for the next three months. Martinique was a beautiful island and I felt a little more at home with those who spoke his native language and they had some wonderful secluded spots the crew knew about away from where the tourists would hang out. I also knew of the best restaurant for some amazing rustic French cuisine that helped stave off some homesickness.

Our itinerary would include stops in San Juan, St Barths, St Croix, Antigua, St Kitts, St Lucia and the Cayman Islands, so the passengers would have plenty of sights to see and amazing excursions to experience. I was also hoping that at least one of them would have a shop where that perfect piece of jewelry would stand out among all others.

Before just wasting a ton of time blindly searching, I bit the bullet and asked Hanji subtly if she knew which of the islands we would be visiting had the best jewelry shops. She jumped on me like some rabid animal instead of simply providing me with an answer. She demanded to know why. Of course, I don’t know why I would have thought differently but I guess she figured it out immediately. I rarely wear any gold or silver and never bought any jewelry for anyone before. She just couldn’t resist hounding me for an answer.

“Captain, you wouldn’t happen to be looking for a ring, perhaps? Maybe a diamond ring for a very significant person?”

“No, as a matter of fact, I am thinking of an emerald, like his eyes. It has to be the exact shade to be just right.”

“Ha! I knew it. But why an emerald? I think most of those are too green. There are lots of other choices that would be closer to the color you are looking for.”

“Well, for one, I know nothing about gemstones. Hell, I know nothing about jewelry in general. What else is there besides diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires? Aren’t they the stones used most often?”

“Of course, but don’t you want something out of the norm- a nice exotic stone in a graceful, simple setting- I think that would be most fitting for someone like Eren. OOOOH! I know! How about a color changing stone? Mysterious and never the same color depending on the lighting.” Hanji started jumping up and down while still holding onto me and frankly, she was making me dizzy.

“Hanji- first, hold still! Second, if you could just calmly tell me the names of some of the gemstones you have in mind, I’ll look up some of the better jewelry stores that Survey Corps Cruises recommends to its passengers.”

“Ok, I’ll go make a list of a few- some of them are very expensive but you only get engaged once. At least most people hope to only be engaged once.”

“Thank you Hanji and just keep this between us, please. I don’t want word of this getting to Eren. I am not even sure how or when I am going to attempt to propose. I am clueless about this sort of thing and I want it to be just right. Fuck, it may even take a few months for me to gather up the courage to actually go through with it.”

"Well, I hope you don't wait too long. I expect to be part of the wedding party since I did help you two get together in the first place and I would prefer to not be an old woman with saggy parts when you finally decide to tie the knot."

 

"Ha Ha, shitty glasses. Don't worry- I hardly want to have Eren walking down the aisle with a cane. Who knows, he may not even want to when I finally do muster up the nerve to ask. He may realize he's still young with his whole life full of opportunity ahead of him. Why would he want to be tied to down to an old grump like me when he's so full of life and sunshine."

 

"Are you crazy? Maybe old age has warped your mind. Didn't he save himself for only you for years? Do you think for even one moment he would decline? I always thought you were smart, but not when it comes to this stuff."

 

"Well, obviously! I know nothing about all of this emotional garbage. I thought I was done with all of that when my parents died. I never wanted to be vulnerable to that sort of pain again. I was quite happy to live in peace with my lack of feelings until that brat had to go stirring stuff up and now look at me. I'm an insecure, sappy mess."

 

"And you love it! Sappy and in love looks good on you! I'll go make you that list of gemstones and I'm sure you'll find the perfect shade."

 

"Thanks Doctor. Any help is appreciated."

 

I walked back to the ship's bridge and reviewed some maps. We would be visiting two new ports this year and I wanted to make sure to have the most efficient route plotted ahead of time with a few back-up ways, just in case a sudden storm brewed. We had just finished docking at Fort De France in Martinique and most of the crew was busy securing everything and filling out the paperwork with the local authorities doing their mandatory inspections. I loved these rare moments on the bridge alone- it always gave me a sense of belonging with my ship without seeming power hungry or greedy. So I was quite surprised when I heard a knock at the door, rousing me from my serene state. None of my officers needed to knock, so I had no idea who would be intruding on my private time with the ship and her instruments. To say I was shocked at the sight would be an understatement. Shocked but also elated at the ethereal sight of my lover. Eren normally slept at this time of the day since he worked the lunch and dinner shifts and he never visited me on the bridge since it was technically off-limits to anyone except officers.

 

As if reading my mind, "I couldn't sleep today for some reason and I saw everyone else downstairs so I was hoping I might find you alone up here."

“Oh. Why is that? Is everything ok? You feeling alright?” I was genuinely concerned since Eren had never mentioned having issues sleeping. If anyone was plagued with the occasional bout of insomnia, it was me.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that. I was just really lonely and had this desperate need to see you. When I saw that Erd, Oluo and Jean were busy, I was hoping you’d be up here by yourself.” He looked so innocent explaining himself but also something else lurked in those eyes that matched the ocean we were now on. Something primal and needy. If I looked in a mirror, I wondered if I would see the same desires in mine? Possibly even more territorial and more raw due to the cold color that I possessed versus the warmth he carried in his all of the time.

“So now that you have seen me, are you satisfied, or was there something else you needed?” I inquired, hoping for a specific answer.

“Well, now that I am here and we have some privacy, I have to admit that I’ve fantasized about going down on you here on the bridge with you seating regally in your Captain’s chair. I want to hear you lose yourself and scream my name.” How he managed to say those sort of things with a straight face and in such a sultry tone, I’ll never know, but I had to admit that his idea sounded amazing and I was more than willing to try it out against all sense of reason. Any of the officers could come back at any time but if we got started right away, they would still be busy with docking procedures. I would have never even considered doing such a thing before; however, Eren somehow had already gracefully locked the door and was busy kissing me into oblivion as he nudged me over to my chair. Before I knew it, I was sitting down, looking down at one of the most breathtaking sights ever, as I gazed into his eyes-gems of the ocean, as he managed to effortlessly free my already pulsing erection from my uniform pants. 

“Have I told you today just how lucky I am,” he said right before he enveloped me whole with his warm, sensuous mouth.

“Ngh, brat! I’m the lucky one from my point of view. You’re the one looking amazing there on your knees with my cock in your mouth. Ahhh, feels so good, Eren.”

“Mmmm, all for you, Levi. I love you so much,” he murmured in between sucking and licking me up and down like a lollipop.

I don’t know if it was the thought of being in a forbidden place or the threat of being caught, but my senses were all heightened and overloaded. I knew I wouldn’t last long and hearing him say such things and looking so lustful, sent me over the edge quickly. “Eren…ah… love you too!,” I screamed as I climaxed deep into his mouth.

Sadly, the afterglow didn’t last long and I didn’t even get an opportunity to return the favor, as Eren had just gotten a towel out to clean us up, as someone tried the door and then started banging on it. “Captain, are you in there?’ came the distinct voice of Jean.

“Why now?” I whispered to myself as I zipped my pants back up and went to unlock the door. “Jean, what exactly is the emergency that just couldn’t wait for me to come back downtstairs?”

“I’m so sorry sir, but we have a situation. Seems that one of the couples onboard got their party started the minute we reached Martinique and have been drinking heavily all morning. The deck party just began a few minutes ago and this couple decided to strip and start streaking all over the top deck. Erd detained them when they refused to get dressed again and go back to their room quietly. He has them in the brig right now but they are demanding to speak to the Captain.”

“What a mess. I can’t believe how irresponsible some people can be. And of course, impeccable timing. Eren, we’ll have to continue later on.”

“Yes sir,” Eren saluted and then gave a slight wink. Jean happened to notice and began to piece together what must have been going on in the room before he interrupted. His face reddened slightly and he rushed out of the bridge in record speed, stammering as he went. “T-Thank you, Cap-captain.”

Why was it always Jean? I just had to wonder to myself as I tidied up the maps and charts I had taken out before Eren’s arrival so I could go and deal with the intoxicated couple. I took one more look at my chair as Eren and I left the room and felt my cheeks warm up slightly, my thoughts invoking images which would never allow me to look at that seat the same way again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay- it's good to be back- I hate missing a week even though it was for a convention. They finally made it to the Caribbean. I wish I was there too! So beautiful. Oh well, have to wait for my next cruise whenever that might be. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed. We'll be doing some island hopping so the two can have some fun exploring. Thanks for reading as always!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“Why can’t people just use their common sense? We haven’t been in the Caribbean for a day yet and already people are going all loosey goosey and getting drunk before it’s even lunchtime. Doesn’t anyone have a sense of propriety anymore?” I grumbled to myself, quite pissed that I had been interrupted and for such ridiculous petty shit on top of it. I could only shake my head and hope that this couple had sobered up slightly in the brig and would come to their senses. Poor Eren accompanied me for support and I felt guilty for taking him away from getting some sleep. 

“I guess you can’t blame people for throwing caution to the wind in a paradise like this. The water is gorgeous, the weather is warm and the tradewinds are refreshing. It is the perfect atmosphere for wanting to enjoy a tropical drink or two. Some people just can’t get enough of good thing.”

“Are you trying to imply something Jaeger?” I teased, knowing damn well I could never get my fill of the brat next to me and he just smirked in return.

As we reached the brig way down on the most forward part of the lowest level of the ship, I couldn’t help but hope we could get this craziness over with quickly. I knew how to deal with people like this; however, it was gratefully something of a rare occurrence. At least I had Eren by my side to provide some moral support. And fortunately, when I arrived at the holding cell, the couple had already sobered up some from the experience and thank goodness they were wrapped up in blankets. I checked with Officer Kirschstein for a quick briefing and then dismissed him but kept Eren by my side. I needed his positive energy right then to stay calm and grounded ad I really wanted to give these two the tongue lashing they deserved for their offensive actions. 

“I am pretty disappointed to see such behavior on my ship, Mr. and Mrs. ....?”

“Fritz....sir,” the man offered.

“Mr. and Mrs. Fritz, then. You do realize what you were doing is behavior that is considered unaccepted in public, correct? I do have full authorization to turn you over to the Martinique government and have you processed there. I guess depending on what you tell me in the next few minutes will determine what I do next. I am sure you would not want your vacation and quite a bit of time in the future ruined by this incident. Not to mention, I hardly want the good reputation of the cruise line and my ship in particular to be tarnished in any way. So what exactly were you two thinking?”

“The majority of it is still a blur, sir but seems we had a bit too much to drink and decided to start dancing around the top deck of ship in a conga –line style when the deck party started. We have no idea when we lost our clothing. Officer Kirschstein brought us down here and then handed up blankets before locking the cell door. That was when we realized we had been naked. We are so sorry we were crude and disruptive. We are on our honeymoon and never drink that much. Please don’t turn us in; we’ll stay in our stateroom the rest of the time and you won’t hear a peep out of us. Besides, we don’t want to be seen by too many people. I’m sure there are plenty of other passengers who saw what we did and that would be mortifying.”

The wife looked scared and timid as a mouse cornered by a cat, “We are truly sorry for our disgraceful display sir and I assure you we learned our lesson.”

“Well, luckily no one was hurt and from what I understand no children were traumatized by the sight of you two. So if you agree to stay in your stateroom and we will be refusing to serve you any more liquor for the remainder of the trip, we won’t pursue this any further. Would that be amenable to you?”

“Oh yes sir. Thank you sir. We are truly sorry for our immature behavior.”

“I hope you two sincerely learned your lesson. This is not the way to start a marriage- imagine telling this story to your grandkids one day. What would they think?”  
The pair nodded and held their heads down in shame as I unlocked the brig door and released them. “Don’t forget, we will be watching everything you do just in case you happen to have a relapse of impropriety.” I smirked at the blushing of their faces as they ran out of there in blinding speed.

“Well, that went swimmingly,” Eren poked me on the shoulder and flashed that smile at me that just weakens me at the knees. It had taken less time than I had anticipated to deal with the ill-behaved couple, so I knew he had the same thing on his mind as I did.

“Yes, I think that might be my new strategy for dealing with issues.” 

Eren looked at me quizzically, “What new strategy?”

“Have my amazingly bright-eyed boyfriend give me an earth-shattering orgasm before attempting any resolution of any issues that arise,” I somehow said with a straight face.

Eren started laughing heartily and agreed with me, ”Sounds like a perfect plan to me. I’m going to adopt that policy right now. I still have a slight issue in my pants and the proper prescription for such a problem would be me cumming while screaming your name. “

I was a bit taken aback by his boldness but was more than happy to comply. I grabbed his hand and we all but sprinted back to my room for a quick romp. I was technically on duty but a quick break wouldn’t hurt anything. I knew my officers could handle anything else that might happen.

A few moments after we got back to my room, I all but pounced on my lover’s cock, ravenous and desperate to have it in my mouth. Sucking and licking, he came deep down my throat after it seemed like we had just started. With both of us sated for the moment and no further, looming issues, I covered up a drowsy brat in my comforter and placed a quick kiss on his head so he could get at least a few hours of sleep undisturbed in my bed before his shift started.

I completed my shift with minimal interruptions, worked out at the crew fitness center with Eren at our designated time and when it was time for bed, I was able to drift off almost immediately as I had the rare treat of Eren’s calming scent still lingering on my pillowcase.

The next morning started as routinely as any other. I woke up, cleaned up my room that didn’t really need it and had a lovely cup of tea. Then of course, it just had to be skewed slightly to the right as I had barely a chance to leave my room when Doctor Hanji all but ran me over. "Captain, I have that list of gems for you. There are quite a few to choose from but I think you need to look up Alexandrite- they are amazing! They actually change color depending on the light just like Eren's eyes do and some of them change to his exact shade! They are a rare stone so it may take a while to find the one and it will be pretty expensive if you want a larger stone."

"Ok, first, please calm down. I'm not worried about the cost, but why would I want to get him a big a rock? I am searching for something sophisticated and unique, not gaudy and excessive." I humphed back at the doctor.

"Well excuse me Mr. Grumpy- pants. I thought you'd want to get him something he could actually see, haha." She truly had the audacity to tease me.

"Just give me the list, please. I was going to thank you for your help but since you insist on being a jerk first thing in the morning, I can't justify wasting my gratitude." I reached out my hand and took the paper from her and she was off like a spark, onto her next victim, thank goodness. 

"Alexandrite, huh? I folded the paper and put it in my pocket so I could research the stones later on in the day when I had a break. I was excited to start looking for just the right gem and then of course the precise setting. It would be perfect even if I had to search every   
island nearby. 

All morning, I went through my lists of tasks, trying to hurry along a little so I could get back to my room and start my research before the normal time Eren woke up, just in case he decided to pay me another surprise visit like yesterday morning. I could only be glad I didn't often spend the majority of my time on the bridge in my chair, as I hated to be tied down to one spot. I guess old military habits die hard and I never wanted to be a stationary target for long. And now add that I have a fear of my body having some sort of involuntary reaction if my subconscious decided to remember the new memory I had in that chair. So I stood at my computer terminal and Googled all kinds of websites. From gemological societies to local jewelry stores, I was a bit overwhelmed by a plethora of information. 

I first checked the types of gems Hanji had listed for me and most of the greens were too close to the yellow spectrum like Peridot and Tourmaline. I was definitely leaning towards Tsavorite and of course Alexandrite as Hanji had predicted. There were plenty of lab-created gems that were a nice shade but of course, I wanted an all-natural stone. The few I found in that ideal color were indeed quite expensive but Eren was worth every penny. I also found a few settings that were simple and stunning. Now I just needed to find a local store in the Caribbean that would carry what I was looking for. Oh and I realized I had one other challenge to overcome. I had no earthly idea what ring size Eren was. I know it could always be resized but I had a hauntingly real vision of me proposing and then attempting to put the ring on his finger and it was either way too huge and just fell off, or was way too small and wouldn’t even reach his knuckle. If that were too happen, I would be mortified and most likely rejected. The romantic mood would be shattered by such a faux pas. But how the fuck was I supposed to get his ring size without being an obvious moron. “Hey Eren, what size do you take in engagement rings? Oh I was just curious- no real reason, just wanted to compare finger sizes with you?” That would be an interesting conversation. I needed this to be a surprise. I wanted to sweep him off his feet like he does to me every day. 

And so for the next week, all of my free time was spent calling up every jewelry shop we would be close to, so I could make a list of all eligible ones to visit and also staring and touching Eren’s hands as much as possible so I could at least make an educated guess at his ring size. I was determined to make every effort in order to succeed in my latest mission in life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow- perfectionist Levi! He really wants to make sure every detail is perfect. Can't wait to see how all of this plays out. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for continuing with this story!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

On more than one occasion, I thought Eren had caught me staring at his hands. He never questioned me but I could tell he wasn’t sure what to make of my new fascination. I was trying my damnedest to figure out his ring size by eyeballing it; however, it was not a simple task. Hell, I really didn’t even know my own stupid size not having worn a ring since high school. 

Hanji didn’t have any better luck. She knew I would be in a murderous rage against her if she managed to spoil my plans so she tried to get the information from him as subtly as possible. For the hyperactive doctor, that was truly a feat in itself but was not successful in the least. I even asked Jean to check their room when Eren was out to see if he owned any rings we could use to compare sizes with some guide I found online. I had to make up some lame excuse about thinking of getting the managers and officers an appreciation gift of rings, at which point Jean made sure that I was aware that he was a size 11. Hopefully, he’d forget all about it or otherwise I might just have to buy everyone a ring to save face and that would surely fuck up our budget for months. The worst part was that Eren didn’t even have a single ring to his name so all of that nonsense was for naught. 

I had one more idea that I thought might be helpful and I put that little plan into effect the next time Eren and I had a chance for some alone time in my room. I spent an entire hour worshipping every single part of Eren’s body from his sweet lips down to his toes. There was just something about having an impatient, wriggling Eren, naked and breathless underneath me as I lavished tons of attention on his gorgeous parts that just got me so turned on. I used this wonderful opportunity to wrap my lips around each of his fingers and suck delicately on each one separately. When I got to his ring finger, I made a mental note about the circumference I was making with my lips and would compare it with the ring guide. I knew it wouldn’t be exact but I wanted it to be as close as possible. Then any resizing wouldn’t need to be dramatic and he could start wearing it right away, if he accepted of course. 

So that little experiment was a success and while his fingers were all slicked up, why waste that lovely opportunity? 

“Eren, prepare yourself for me with those long and wet fingers of yours,” I purred seductively in his ear as I looked down on his beautiful face and into those eyes whose color never ceased to enchant me.

Eren was already dazed from all of the teasing I had done, so he only nodded and I sat back so I could enjoy the show. I knew his body was super sensitive so I didn’t want to add to his agony. Once he was done stretching himself, I would be more than happy to relieve him of any pent up frustration. Eren made fast work of his task, obviously needy and before long our bodies were joined together, thrusting in and out with abandon. After an hour of foreplay, neither of us lasted long once we started. The heat we generated between us was consuming and blinding, bringing us both to blissful completion quickly and strongly. After cleaning up, we both snuggled up and drifted off to sleep almost as soon as our heads hit the pillows. I always slept better with Eren in my bed, his presence soothing and protective and I could rest at ease knowing that I had completed one part of the challenge of finding that perfect ring for the flawless man next to me. Now I would start looking in the stores I had checked with over the phone, confident I would find just the right one. Strangely my subconscious must have been in overdrive as well, as I saw a vision of the perfect ring in my dreams, lovingly slipping it on Eren’s graceful finger. There were cherry blossoms in the air and everything was bright and sunny, like angels were shining their brilliance down upon up. Obviously, such a perfect moment in time only existed in dreams but I could hope that the ring I saw there existed outside of my mind and would one day soon grace Eren’s hand.

Then the reality of the real world slapped me in the face to bring me down from my high. My initial confidence and enthusiasm was soon tested and my tenuous thread of patience was at its breaking point before long. I visited almost every jewelry store that had previously told me over the phone that they had lovely Alexandrites that had color change properties from purples to teals to blues. When I actually set aside precious time from my busy schedule to visit these stores, some of them miles away from our docking port, I only found disappointment. They didn't have anything even remotely the right color, and I could only feel that I was running fast and getting nowhere. What was the point of calling ahead if the trip was to be fruitless in the end?

 

At least I was able to always plan my little excursions in the early morning while Eren was still sleeping. I didn't want to have to make up some phony-ass story, even though it was not like telling an outright lie. It still felt wrong being evasive to the one person I should always be upfront and honest with. It had now been over a week and we had stopped at every port except the one in St. Kitts where we couldn't dock due to high winds and waves. I could only hope that when we finally made it to that port in a few days that I'd be able to find what I was looking for. If not, I'd have to wait until we made the long trip back to the Mediterranean in the Spring. Part of me- my cowardly side was totally ok with this as it would give me a little more time to plan this out and procrastinate. The other part of me wanted nothing more than to find the perfect ring, set up an amazingly romantic scenario to propose and marry the lovely teal-eyed brat as soon as possible. That part of me was definitely more tenacious at the moment as every evening I was not able to spend with Eren was tearing at me in an agonizingly slow pace. I needed his presence with me as much as possible, as if my life now depended on it.

 

So of course, the next time we tried to dock in St. Kitts, where that elusive jewelry shop was located, we were delayed by a few hours, hindered by high waves again. At least this time, we were able to dock; however, I was in a foul mood from the delay. I would have to hurry out and hope that Eren would not see me. Of course, as per my life-long history of shit luck, I almost ran smack into Eren as he was also preparing to leave the ship. 

 

"Captain! Are you actually going to go ashore? I thought you always had Erd or Oluo grab your supplies in bulk so you wouldn't have to go out and fight the crowds of tourists near the docks?" He beamed and bounced over to me.

 

"Ah...well, Jaeger, I needed to pick up a gift and of course I can't send someone else to pick out something personal." I tried not to stammer as I spit out the tiny white lie.

 

"Oh, great. I needed to grab a few toiletries myself so would you mind if I joined you? Unless, that gift would just happen to be for me?" The brat gave me that innocent puppy-eyed look and I just melted. How could I ever refuse a request from him- especially one where we could spend a few precious moments together.

 

"Ummm, sure. Of course I wouldn't get a gift for you with you going with me. You can come along if you want." I said out loud even though inside I was silently cursing my luck. How the hell was I going to look for his ring with him there with me and I knew I wouldn't have the time to come back to the ship to ditch Eren and then sneak back out. Dammit, it would just have to wait another week until I could check again in St. Kitts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Levi and his luck. But they say everything happens for a reason, right? Sorry this was short but fluff will be ensuing soon, I promise. Thanks for continuing on with the story!


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

In the past, I always dreaded shopping. It was a drudgery and I couldn't imagine how anyone could enjoy being in a stuffy store. People pushing to grab at merchandise that they probably didn't even need, getting their grubby fingers and germs all over everything they touched, tainting what was left behind for others who would be completely unaware. It was fucking disgusting and primitive.

 

Therefore, for anything that I could purchase online, the convenience was more than worth the price for shipping. For daily items, like toothbrushes and other toiletries, I did indeed have Erd or Oluo purchase those in bulk for me at the beginning of every year so I was set. For the little bit of time I was at home in France, I usually just stuck to the small, local markets and picked up only a few things per day to cook at that time. So when Eren said he would accompany me on my outing for gift shopping, I had to play along and actually go into a few of the different shops. This was why I detested not telling the truth. I had to come up with some fictitious person to pretend to be shopping for. The hole of lies would just get deeper and my conscience would be bothering me for days. Eren then asked me what type of gift I was looking for and I replied that is was just something in home decor that was tropical themed. I figured I could use my neighbor back home as an excuse that I was buying a token of gratitude for always keeping a watchful eye on my home when I'm away for most of the year. Before I even knew what was happening, the brat had already grabbed me by the hand and was leading me away from the ship and off towards a small row of stores.

 

"I briefly checked out most of the islands we visited last week, so I could get a feel for which places had the quaintest shops, which ones had nice, quiet beaches and which ones had the most fun excursions. Speaking of which, I meant to ask you about an excursion last week but never got a chance. If you get a few hours free this week, I found the perfect one for the two of us to do when we visit St Thomas again. I've waited so long to get to these islands and they are more amazing that I ever imagined. I really hope we can explore at least one of them before we head back to our home port." He all but busted out with joy at the prospect. Before we arrived here, I knew he was extremely excited to see the Caribbean and I had to admit his enthusiasm had influenced my own desire to see the gorgeous waters and the mild climate more so than any year previously. But actually going away from the ship for a short time to indulge in recreational activity?

"I don't know if I'd be able to get a few hours off for such a purpose. What if something were to happen?" I hated to leave my ship for more than a brief period of time, even in the capable hands of my crew. Most passengers were harmless; however, you never knew when someone would get too drunk and start causing mischief or just have bad intentions from the start. Technically, I was required by the corporation to work ten hours a day. I only got approximately 5 hours of sleep per night, unless Eren and I were able to fuck each other senseless and then spend the night together. Then, it was easy for me to get a full eight or nine hours of quality rest. Sadly, this didn’t happen nearly as often as I would prefer- maybe once a week if we were lucky. I had hoped it would occur more like every night, then it would be perfect, but regardless, I knew I had plenty of free time for an excursion with Eren. I just never cared to partake in any type of activities while on the islands. I then made the mistake of looking up at him and he had that look again- the one I am powerless to resist. I would give in and do anything for him when he looked at me with those puppy eyes. Damn it!

“So what does this little outing entail? I should be able to spare a little time.”

“Really? You’d be willing to go? Dr. Hanji said she didn’t think you’d want to go since you’ve never gone on one before. I asked her what type of activities you liked most to do when you’re in the Caribbean and she said you hated to leave the ship.”

“Well, she is correct. I don’t like leaving my post but I think it would be wonderful to spend a few hours with you enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery as it was meant to be enjoyed. As long as it’s not some crazy-ass shit, like us attempting fire-walking or diving with sharks.” 

“No, no, nothing dangerous or reckless like that. It’s just a nice driving tour and then a little time to snorkel on a private beach. I really want to surprise you with the views.”

“Hmm, that seems peaceful enough. I’ll have to find my old snorkel set and give it a good cleaning. There is no way in hell I would use a set that has been in some other germ-ridden mouth before.”

“Yuck! I didn’t think about that. I guess I better find mine too. Oh look, here are some really nice stores. Let’s go see if you find something for your neighbor here. The drugstore is right across the street where I just need a few things.”

I looked around and noticed there was one jewelry shop in the vicinity to make note to visit the next time we visited this island. In the meantime, Eren and I casually looked around all of the little sundry shops. I couldn’t even find a single knick knack for my neighbor to fulfill my excuse for going shopping in the first place and this just added to my already growing frustration. Eren must have caught on to my increasingly foul mood.

“I’m really sorry we couldn’t find anything for your neighbor. I know it’s hard when you can’t locate that one special item that would be just right for someone. But don’t get discouraged; there are tons of other shops on the other islands we go to.” It was always so touching to see him concerned about me, even for such trivial issues as this and I didn’t want to cause him any worry.

“I’ve already looked on a lot of the other islands and no one seems to have exactly what I am looking for.” Eren looked at me surprised by my admission of shopping around without him and shit! I could not believe that just came pouring out of my mouth. This brat just always made it way too natural for me to open up and express my thoughts honestly. Now I’d have to make up some other stupid story about why I hadn’t found anything for my neighbor since I seemingly had been shopping for their gift all week. Luckily, Eren seemed to just ignore that little fact and I mentally put up a barrier to stop talking about this subject. 

“Don’t give up hope. You know, there is this amazing shop on St. Barts . They have anything you could possibly ever imagine. Candles, china, perfumes, jewelry and lots of decorative things for a home. I could have spent hours in there browsing even though it’s not an overly huge shop. I’m sure you’ll find that perfect gift there- I just have a feeling.”

“Ok, brat- maybe I’ll check it out next time.” I replied with a smile. What did I have to lose? ”So tell me more about this little excursion you want us to partake in?”

Eren refused to go into more detail; just insisted it would be a pleasant surprise and I would love the views and experiences. I hated to admit that I was a bit apprehensive regarding this little getaway of his, no matter how brief. I felt badly about that, it wasn't really Eren that I didn't trust. I knew he just wanted to create some fun memories of the lovely islands while we were here. I just had my doubts about some of the local curators of such day trips. Most of them were very reputable and made the passengers’ time on their island enjoyable. However, I had my share of passenger nightmares dealing with a few, less than honorable operators. Some had old equipment that was in complete disrepair and others failed to even show up for their tours at all and my customer service crew had to deal with disappointed and disgruntled guests who felt they had been robbed of their day's recreation. It was a disgrace and even though not a direct result of the cruise line's actions, it still reflected poorly on the entire vacation experience. I knew Eren would do some research before booking anything with a tour group; however, he was still inexperienced with the few unethical people looking for a quick buck before skipping off to another island.

So imagine my surprise when the next week, we arrived in St. Thomas and the excursion host was courteous and ethical- his equipment pristine and functioning perfectly. It was Eren's common sense and sanity that I was questioning as he drove our rented jeep like a madman up a mountain on what barely seemed to pass as a bike path. The fucking thing didn’t even have doors. He laughed and jumped up wildly with each bump we hit, tossing us left and right and putting us precariously close to the edge. I had survived my military service and never had any real emergencies on the ship before, so here I was, fearing for my life at the hands of the man I loved and wanted to make my husband. I had to refrain from looking out to the side as all I could see was a sheer drop down that damn mountain. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking when I accepted the offer to come along but then I looked over at the sheer ecstasy on his face and remembered clearly exactly what I was thinking. I would do anything this adorable brat asked me to. I was wrapped tightly around his little finger. When we blessedly made it to the top of the mountain, I jumped out of the jeep so quickly, I made myself dizzy. My ass hurt, my back was stiff and I was just grateful to be standing on solid ground. Once my vision cleared up, I looked out over the edge and discovered that Eren was correct in his description of this place. The view up there was breathtaking. I never wanted to leave- partly due to the amazing scenery and the other part of me not wanting to ever get back into that damn jeep again.

Unfortunately, being on a tight schedule we didn’t have the luxury of just lazing about on the mountain. Eren was considerate enough and had packed a small picnic lunch that was delicious and refreshing. Then way too soon, I had to climb back into that death trap of a vehicle and descend back down to have a little time on the beach. I was never really a huge fan of snorkeling but as we got to the shoreline, the water was just too inviting. We swam around for about thirty minutes and got to see plenty of colorful fish. I wanted to dry off before we headed back so Eren stayed in the water a little longer while I got everything packed back up to head back to La Liberte. Eren was soon finished snorkeling and I was so grateful that I went out first to be able to witness the most beautiful thing I had seen all day. He may not be native to any of these islands but the magnificent specimen he was glistened with all of the sun’s radiance, as if he always belonged here. Tiny crystal beads of water rolled down his chocolate locks onto his shoulders and then down his taut and bronzed stomach, stopping only at the waistband of his swim trunks. It was truly a captivating site and my thoughts quickly turned to finding a place nearby with some privacy so I could ravage the beauty that had just emerged from the ocean like some kind of Adonis. He also must have been gifted with some sort of ESP as well since he obviously was having the same thoughts. Before I knew it, we found a nice spot that was secluded enough to obstruct the view of anyone that might happen to wander around the area. I didn’t give a shit that we’d be a little late getting back to the ship any longer. Hell, I didn’t even mind the sand and that is saying something monumental.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Levi- having such a hard time...Thanks as always to all of my wonderful readers. I appreciate you all!


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

In fact, the sand actually felt pretty damned good as I squished my toes into it. The blanket Eren had placed down for us in the small alcove wasn’t quite long enough for us to fit on it fully laying down but I found I relished in the sensation of the gritty sand against my feet as they braced me each time Eren thrust into me. Who knew the shitty brat had actually thought to bring lube and a condom with him in the picnic basket- almost like he had planned a sex on the beach rendezvous the whole time. Oh well, I wasn’t complaining one bit as Eren moved sinfully smooth in and out, to the same timing as the crashing waves. Building me up and tearing me down again as our lips and bodies continued to meet, salty and sweet at the same time from the heat we were creating and from the ocean water we had bathed in earlier. It was sensual and just a tiny bit frantic, the knowledge that anyone could wander by at any time and catch us mid coitus only adding to the pleasure. As we both got closer to completion I could only yell out “Faster!” and “Eren!” The young man happily obliged and slammed into with me with renewed vigor, hitting just the right spot over and over causing my entire field of vision to be drowned in light as I came hard between us. Eren followed almost immediately as the intensity of my climax pushed him over the edge as well. 

We laid there for just a few moments afterwards, enough to catch our breath and for it to finally register that we were both all salty, sweaty and sandy. A quick dip in the crystal-clear water was a heavenly refresher before we packed up and headed back to the ship. It had truly been a wonderful outing; at least once we had gotten done with that jeep on the mountain. I told Eren I was grateful for the experience and was a little sad to realize I should have been exploring the beauty these islands offered long before now. But like many things, Eren had opened my eyes and my heart so I could finally take those steps to do what I never thought I would. Back on board, we both separated at my room to get changed and prepared to get back to work and as we shared a quick kiss before parting, my heart swelled even more with the hope that I would kind that perfect ring soon so I could finally ask that gorgeous man to be mine forever. 

And so the next day, I got out of bed extra early with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. I just had a feeling that now that we finally made it back to Belize that I would be sure to find that perfect piece of jewelry. There were no harsh winds, no high waves – it seemed like it would be a successful day. After all, everything in my life had come only with a lot of determination and elbow grease, so I was foolish to think that something as important as this would happen easily. After two failed trips here, I thought this would surely be a positive experience.

As soon as La Liberte had customs clearance to go ashore, I quickly disembarked and headed towards the last jewelry store on my list to check with an uncharacteristic spring in my step. When I got there, the shop hadn't even opened yet and I had to wait about fifteen minutes for a clerk to arrive and open the door. As he got settled in, I waited by the front door, impatient and fidgety despite the faintest trace of pain in my lower back left over from our little trounce at the beach the day before. I had to smile to myself at the thought of just how thorough a fucking Eren had given me. Thank goodness the clerk was still preoccupied with his normal set up ritual or he may have thought the sudden smirk that appeared on my face was creepy.

"So what can I help you with today, sir?" he asked once he seemed to be ready to start the day.

"I am looking for an Alexandrite stone, at least one carat with the color change to be either from or to a deep Caribbean blue. I called here about three weeks ago and the owner told me you may have a few of those to choose from. I want it placed in a simple platinum ring setting."

"Well, I must say we don't get too many people coming into the store with that specific of a request. Most just breeze in and browse randomly without anything particular in mind. I think we do have a few stones with that range of colors but I seem to recall they are all pretty small. Not sure if any of them are even close to a half carat but I'll show you what I have."

The clerk went behind the counter and started pulling out a few cases. He grabbed a black velvet mat and some cloths. He also directed me to one of the glass cases on the left side of the store. "We do have a few Alexandrite stones already set in that case if you happen to see any you would like. We could always remove it from the setting if you like the gem itself. I'm just going to set up a few different types of light so we can see what the color changes on these would be."

Nodding, I walked over to the case the clerk had pointed to and looked down. I have never really paid much attention to gems and hardly gave them a second thought. I know my birthstone was blue topaz only because my mother had pointed it out once when my father had bought her a necklace with the whole family's stones. Now that I actually had the opportunity to scrutinize some in these stores, I was amazed at the depth and fire contained in some of these rocks. Now I understood how they captivated some people and made them always want to obtain more. Luckily for me, the only two gems I wanted to gaze at forever were attached to one perfect package of a man. I didn't see anything in the display to match what I wanted so I walked back over to the clerk who I just noticed was named Tomas per the tag he wore on his shirt. Tomas pulled out the first few stones, which were close to a carat and placed them on the mat and moved them under each type of light. Their purplish hue gradually changed, some turned greenish, others blue and one ever a deeper purple, almost black. None of them were the exact color I was looking for, though one came close. I just didn't like the fact that the stone was slightly cloudy.  
Tomas brought out a few others and again, none of them met my expectations. Only one was even close the color I wanted but the stone was way too small to make a nice ring. It would barely make a decent accent stone. Tomas apologized profusely for not having a better selection but I realized it was not his fault, even though I wanted to take my frustration out on someone, I couldn’t. 

“I’m sorry sir, Alexandrite is a pretty rare stone and no two are perfectly alike in color. That and it’s hard to get a bigger stone since they tend to be full of tiny imperfections. I saw a near perfect, larger gem go for almost a million dollars in London a few years ago. I can try to ask around the different islands nearby and see what others have in stock?”

“That’s ok Tomas. I’ve already checked around all of the other islands we stop at. I guess I’ll have to wait until I get back to Europe to check there.”

“There should be a better selection there for sure. I wish you luck in your search.”

“Thanks Tomas for your help and kindness,” I said dejectedly as I went back out the door I had entered 30 minutes ago with high hopes. 

Why did I ever think I would be successful in this? I guess I used up all of my luck just finding Eren and in the scope of all things, that is the most important thing. The perfect Alexandrite was rare; however, finding someone like Eren was even more so. I crossed the street to head back to the ship, I found myself in a complete daze. It was one of my most important missions in my life and I had failed. The rest of the day, I got through my work on instinct alone- just going through the motions. I couldn’t eat and I even skipped out on my exercise regimen that evening. I haven’t done that since the last time I had the flu.

I guess Eren was worried as well, knowing I am habitual about my fitness schedule and he knocked on my door that evening. We talked for a little bit but it was painful to look at him knowing I failed in what should have been a simple task. I bet no one else had this much trouble finding a nice engagement ring but I refused to compromise and settle for anything less than what I had set my mind on. Eren did his best to cheer me up and I used a headache as an excuse for being out of sorts for most of the day. He didn’t want to stay long so I could get some rest but he reminded me that we would be in St Barts the next day and said that a quick visit to his new favorite shop would help make me feel better as well. He claimed just looking at the place brought a smile to his face and warmed his heart. He gave me the name of it again and assured me that if I followed the main street off of the dock, I could not possibly miss it. I figured what the heck. I hate shopping but I wanted to check it out since it seemed important to Eren and I did not want to disappoint him.

So the next morning, after getting very little sleep I found myself in front of the store that Eren had mentioned to me. Heartfelt Treasures was the name on the ornate sign outside. He was right- there was no way anyone could miss this building- the exterior paint job contained every color in the rainbow with a tropical rainforest mural. I almost wanted to turn around and head back to my room- the colors were almost too much; however, I felt drawn to the brightly colored, odd little shop. I certainly never would have even considered going into an establishment like that if Eren hadn't recommended it to me. I trusted his judgment, even though shopping together wasn't anything we would had much experience with- just that one time when he bumped into me on his way to get some personal items in Belize. Maybe the colors were inviting and cheerful and I sure did need some encouragement. My last hope of finding the perfect ring for the brat was dashed. I had even finally decided after going on that excursion with Eren two days ago, how I wanted to propose right before we left for home in Spring. I really hoped to have been engaged so when we were back in France, I knew just who to call to start planning for a simple and elegant ceremony. I was feeling so melancholy; I even considered going back to the ship and having a huge glass of wine and a nap before having to face another day of work. I would never in a million years think to do such a thing so that was proof of how heavy this disappointment weighed on my mind and my heart. 

As I approached the door of the eccentric store, I hesitated for a moment before opening it. What if some weirdoes worked here? Did I really want to deal with that in my current emotional state? Oh well, I figured I could always just run back out if I got a strange vibe from the place or employees. At least I could tell Eren that I had checked it out on his recommendation.

I bit the bullet and opened the door, feeling a whoosh of cold air rush past me as I entered. I closed the door behind me so more wouldn't rush out. It was refreshingly cold inside- a welcome change from the many stores that did not believe in air conditioning. The island breezes were comforting and a fan was all you needed sometimes, so very few places would justify the expense for air conditioning. Almost every square meter of space in the tiny shop was occupied with merchandise- the floor, the wall and even some things suspended from the ceiling. I saw a glass case in one of the corners and my eyes were drawn to the bright lights shining on it. I walked towards it and the proprietor greeted me excitedly. “Hello sir. Welcome to Heartfelt Treasures. Please look around and let me know if there is anything I can show you for closer inspection.”

“Thank you. I will let you know.” Deep down I thought to myself that the place was so crammed with stuff, there was no way I could see much of anything but once I got in front of that case, I found there were only a few pieces of fine jewelry in there. This was a gift shop so I didn’t expect anything other than costume jewelry but it seemed they carried a few things. I looked down at the merchandise and there it was. I had to blink and rub my eyes a few times and even pinched myself on the arm to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t even certain it was an Alexandrite but I was sure of one thing- the stone was the exact color of Eren’s gorgeous eyes and it was the perfect size. Sure it was in an antique – looking women’s ring setting but I could surely have it moved to a men’s band.

“I see something has got you captivated.” I was broken out of my inner thoughts by the shop keeper. 

 

“Oh, yes. Sorry. I am interested in that ring there. The Caribbean blue jewel. Is it Alexandrite?” I asked.

“Why yes, it is. I love the color so I totally understand your reaction to it. I almost thought you had seen a ghost or something,” she joked.

“No, I was just shocked to find one that color. You can’t even imagine how many jewelry stores I checked in looking for something like it.”

“Oh, is it going to be a gift? Someone wanting just that specific color? They are extremely rare to find so they must be very special to go through all of that trouble for.”

“Actually, I want it for an engagement ring.”

“Oh my! Congratulations! What a lucky person to get this. I just got it in a few days ago from an estate sale. Those always make me a little sad knowing that maybe some family member would have cherished it more if it had any sentimental value, but knowing that it will be an engagement ring, anyone would be thrilled with this stone.”

“You don’t know how happy I am to have found it. I didn’t expect to find it in a store like this, no offense.”

“Haha, none taken. We are not known for jewelry but we try to keep the place stocked with lots of beautiful things that will hopefully have some whimsical value to them for the purchaser.”

 

“Speaking of which, now that I have found it, I’m almost afraid to ask the price.”

 

“Well, it is in an old setting which you will probably want to replace and the person who sold it to me, accepted a very reasonable offer- they just wanted to get the money to pay off the debts of the person who had owned it. So I can let it go for $3000. The change in certain light is a very nice rich purple too. I guarantee that it’s well worth the money. I even have the appraisal paperwork for $5000 from the previous owner.”

“I’ll take it.”

About fifteen minutes later, I was back on the ship and trying to decide where to hide the little box. I would have to take it to be reset but I knew exactly which store had the perfect setting I wanted. In the meantime, I found a nice cabinet niche I never used and hid the box there. Quite the contrast from the day before as I could not stop smiling for the rest of the day. I could honestly say I have never had my face hurt from too much smiling but I guess there is a first time for everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So happy Levi finally found what he was looking for. Now he just needs to pop the question. Thanks as always for continuing on with the story.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

That evening, I made sure to make up for the missed workout session from the day before. I felt amazing and breezed through set after set, sensing Eren's gaze on me the entire time.

When I started to feel the back of my head burning under the scrutiny, I had to see what was on the brat’s mind. “What? Do I have something weird on my face? Maybe an odd piece of hair sticking up?”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that,” he replied a little startled at being discovered and confronted.

“So what is it?” I pressed on. I really wanted to know. 

“You just seem to be glowing today for some reason. I’ve seen actual, genuine smiles a few times today and you have been incredible- ripping through your normal exercise regime in no time, barely breaking a sweat. Yesterday, you were feeling awful and looked so depressed, but now you appear to be better than ever.”

“Oh ho- you like what you see then?” I urged him on.

“Always do, but I have to admit seeing you smile so much today really makes me want you so badly- even more than normal if that's possible.” He blushed slightly at this revelation and I wanted to bring a full flush to his face. I just loved it when he got all hot and flustered- it was a surreal sight.

“So you are admitting to be being hornier than normal for me because I am happy? Is that why you couldn’t take your eyes off of me tonight?”

“One of many reasons,” he replied. “Let’s go back to your room so we can finish up our exercise for the evening in your bed.” He purred in my ear. I didn’t even give him a chance to blink before I was taking him by the hand and pulling him out of the workout room and headed back to my quarters.

There was certainly something to be said about lovemaking when you are in the perfect, blissful mood. If Eren was more randy than usual because I was smiling then I must have been in full-on heat from his reaction, as my love-driven lust was insatiable. I couldn’t keep my hands and lips off of his perfect body all night long. He felt amazing, tasted sweeter than normal and gripped around me like we were two halves made for completing each other. I knew we’d both be sore and tired in the morning but it was worth it to experience the most wonderfully intense sex we ever had. 

The next day, I started making arrangements for my proposal plans. I had the perfect man, found the ideal ring and wanted to make sure that the moment I asked him the big question would be one of our most cherished memories. I had the scenario all planned out in my head so I just had to make the vision come to fruition. The only negative part being that deep down I felt a very alive and intimidating fear for the first time in a long time. I could get the most perfect ring made and I could create the most ideal, romantic setting, but when it came down to it, I was so nervous that the right words would escape me. I was never the best with emotions and sure as hell didn't know how to convey them verbally. I was so scared of fucking it all up and because of that, Eren might just reject me outright. I didn’t doubt our love for each other, but I had no idea how he really felt about marriage. Strangely, he never brought up the topic and I didn’t either since I wanted this to be a surprise. But I had no idea at all if he wanted to take that step. It was a legal, binding contract as well as a lifelong commitment that couldn’t be taken lightly. Hell, I had seriously thought I would never even consider it myself and for all I knew Eren might have some strange wedding phobia. I just had to ignore the nagging negativity and proceed as planned. I would just have to man up and deal with a rejection if it came to that, but for now, I would focus on the positive and make sure every little detail was accounted for.

First, I had to get back to that jewelry store in Belize that had the perfect ring band to set the Alexandrite it. I figured if I dropped it off this week for the setting and sizing, it should be ready to pick up the week afterwards. I just had to hope that my guesstimate about his ring finger size was close enough. Then once I had the ring, I would have to extra careful to make my plans so Eren wouldn’t find out. I was definitely going to do this on the evening right before we left back for France. That meant our last stop would be St Lucia and luckily I had a contact or two in that port who could help me. 

Thanks to Eren’s talking about different excursions, I had done a little research on my own. I discovered a wonderful experience that was simple for me to personalize for my needs and make it romantic. What I had planned to do was rent a sailboat. I hadn’t sailed one in years but I loved them intensely as my favorite type of ship. No loud, annoying motor and noxious fumes ruining the tranquility of the ocean and the gentle breezes carrying us along for the ride. I also felt more alive and part of the experience with the extra work it took to properly navigate. It was boating at its finest and you had to have skill to succeed in it. We would go out about an hour before sunset, just the two of us. I’ll have some light snacks prepared along with a bottle of champagne, so we can have a toast right at sunset. Then I would bow down before Eren on one knee and present him with the ring, asking the most important question of my life. I'd slip the ring on his finger and present him with the box. I planned to have a special, ornate wood box made in Antigua with a carved orchid on top of it. That way he’d have one of his favorite flowers that would last forever and he could either display it proudly or set it somewhere safe. 

Then if all went right, Eren would accept and we’d have the entire journey back to France to discuss the wedding plans. The more details we could work out ahead of time, the better. That way, I could just present everything to my cousin and wedding planner Tiffany LaClaire when we arrived back home. I knew she would have all of the connections needed for our dream wedding; she had done an amazing job with Erwin’s wedding a few years ago. The Admiral had wanted a reception as big as his eyebrows and I think the entire town in addition to a lot of our former military buddies were in attendance. He had certainly favored quantity over quality and there was enough food and alcohol to serve the entire French Royal Navy. About halfway through the evening, Erwin and his lovely bride snuck away to enjoy their wedding night, leaving the rest of the rowdy guests to continue on with the party. By the end of it, the entire place was trashed, as were the attendees. Personally, I thought it was all fucking disgusting and I had gotten slightly drunk only because as best man I was obligated to stay the entire time to ensure the guests all got home safely and that the none of them set the building on fire before then. I would be sure that our ceremony and reception would be tasteful and dignified. Sure, Erwin’s wedding was legendary in our home town but I just wanted us to be able to exchange vows and dedicate our hearts to each other simply. There was no need for a crazy fanfare or gallons of liquor. I just wanted to declare him mine and enjoy the rest of our lives together in wedded bliss. 

I had to tear away from my daydreams and get back to planning for my little excursion. I had to just get the sailboat booked with her captain and would need to plan what dishes to serve for our light dinner and maybe dessert. I still hadn't decided if I was going to use one of the chefs from onboard to prepare the small dishes or if I wanted a complete local flair using a native islander. In the end, I figured since one, the less questions asked by the crew, the better and two, I knew how much Eren had grown to love the islands and everything about them- the people, the climate, the ocean and of course the food. So it made sense to seek out a local eatery to prepare some of his favorites. I already had the champagne chosen- a lighter one this time, since I’d still have to sail the boat back soon afterwards. At least the tight timeframe would force me to stay on task and not allow me to chicken out. I just wish we would have more time to sail leisurely once I asked him and hopefully he’ll accept. If it weren’t for my fierce pride in La Liberte and my extreme sense of responsibility, I would sail off into the sunset with my fiancé and stop at the first place we could get married in Europe. Sadly though, I knew we couldn’t just elope like that as much as I wanted to. Eren deserved to have the best wedding ever and even though it would be a small affair, I was confident it would be as amazing and beautiful as he.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow- can't wait for the next chapter- sorry this one was shorter than normal but if I continued it would have been huge. Fear not, lots of sappy fluff in the next one.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

In two weeks, I had completed all of my preparations: food scheduled, sailboat and port booked and the ring and box finished- they looked amazing. I was so pleased with the way they had turned out and while part of me couldn’t wait to present them to Eren, the real nervousness started to kick in. I worried and fretted over every detail. I picked foods that I knew he would enjoy- tiny breadbowls with cheddar cheese soup, coconut shrimp, mango chicken skewers and miniature pineapple upside-down cakes. I didn’t even care if I liked any of it or not. I knew I wouldn’t have much of an appetite anyway. 

So I had nothing else to do but wait and watch my anxiety level increase with each passing week as we headed towards spring. Luckily, I had one major distraction at Christmas, when Eren made sure to double the celebration in honor of the holiday and my birthday. He planned a lovely outing that didn’t involve being tossed around in a jeep on a narrow, mountain road, thank goodness. We spent a few hours window shopping and then visiting an aquarium where we got to interact with dolphins and sting rays. After his dinner shift, he brought a chocolate mousse cake to my room and we spent the rest of the night stuffing ourselves with the sinfully rich dessert and then making love in between to satisfy any other cravings we had. Before we drifted off to sleep, he actually had the nerve to present me with a gift, as if he hadn’t done enough already. I adored the leather briefcase but still felt a pang of guilt deep down. He spent way too much on me, being he had taken a cut in salary just to be with me, but it was hard not to get lost in his spirit of merriment and I ended up having the best birthday ever since my early childhood.

Of course I had to return the favor when Eren’s birthday rolled around in March, two weeks before we were scheduled to head back to France and the Mediterranean. I had the biggest strawberry shortcake the baker had ever made brought into the dining room so all of the guests could join in wishing the head waiter a happy day. I couldn’t resist getting him a gift, even though he insisted I shouldn’t. I had noticed on Christmas, that he had an old beat-up camera. He took nice pictures despite it being a long outdated model but I figured he could use a new one to take even better ones. That evening, he seemed ecstatic as he opened his gift and those damned amazing eyes of his got even bigger with surprise. Later on, I had made sure to have some of the extra berries and cream from his cake brought to my room so we could have sweet, sticky sex all night long. It was so worth the utter destruction on my sheets and we both had to shower for about an hour before getting clean but I couldn’t wait to do it again sometime- maybe even on our wedding night if I could sneak some of our cake back with us. And of course assuming Eren accepted my proposal.

After that, the time crawled again and I have never stared at the calendar so much. I wanted the day to come so badly when I could finally ask him to be mine officially. Two weeks was a short time in reality but in my state of mind and heart, it was equivalent to ten years. My brain was restless and even tough everything was planned meticulously, I had that nagging feeling I was forgetting something. I was almost certain that it was due to the fact that I refused to have a set speech prepared. I wanted my sentiments to come directly from the heart and a bunch of memorized words would just seem insincere. The only problem was I had absolutely no idea what to say. I would just have to take the biggest leap of faith in my life and hope that when I looked into those green/blue eyes of his, the right things would pour out.

Finally, the day arrived and right before he would normally start his dinner shift, I ran down to Eren’s room to retrieve him. 

“Don’t bother getting changed into your uniform, Eren,” I said as he opened the door, looking shocked that I had come to his room rather than the other way around, which was the norm.

“What’s going on? Who is going to cover my shift then?” he asked, happy to see me but a bit confused by the sudden declaration of time off. I was hoping he wouldn’t ask too many questions since I still wanted everything to be a complete surprise.

“I asked for you to have a few hours off tonight so we could have one more little outing before we head back to France tomorrow. But we have to hurry. Unfortunately, we are on a tight schedule since I still have to make sure all of the safety checks are done before the morning departure.” I tried to be as vague as possible without seeming outlandish.

“OK, but I am dressed appropriately?"

"That’s fine brat. It’s not a formal event or anything. As long as you are comfortable.”

“Yeah- I’m fine. But now you have my curiosity peaked. When did you have the time to plan this little get together?”

“You know that it’s great to be captain. I may not have as many connections as you do since everyone loves you; however, I can get amazing things accomplished when I want to. But enough of this, we need to get going.” I headed out with the green eyed beauty behind me, hopefully unaware of what I was planning and we made our way off the ship and down to the end of the dock to where the smaller, local boats docked. The captain from whom I was renting the sailboat was already waiting for us.

“Everything is ready for you Captain Rivaille. Your crew members just got done dropping off a few things and we have a lovely wind coming in that should ensure you two have a lovely voyage.”

“Thank you so much, Captain Thies. I’m sorry I didn’t take advantage of your rentals before this, but Eren here has encouraged me to engage in some recreational activities during our visits to the islands.”

“Well, he must be good influence then. I hope you two enjoy your sail and the gorgeous sunset that should be starting soon.”

“Thanks again, sir. Eren, let’s get going to we can be out on the water enough to get a nice view of that sunset.” With that we boarded the boat. It felt a little unfamiliar but I had become quite adept at sailboats over the years. I loved the way that you really had to depend on your instinct and skills to navigate one, not just a huge panel of instrumentation. I hoisted the sails and felt the burn in my muscles and the friction of the rope on my hands that didn’t have as many calluses as I once did from being spoiled with a cruise ship to control for many years. Once I had those in place, I had Eren help me lift the anchor and off we went, seemingly heading for the horizon for that view we so wanted. I brought out the food and the champagne and we nibbled lightly until we were in a perfect vantage point. I lowered the sails so we would just drift slightly and I took a seat next to Eren so we could snuggle together and watch the sky transform into a blaze of color as the sun started to set for the evening. I let the tranquility of the moment soothe my nerves somewhat and when I finally gained enough courage to go for it, I turned to Eren, his eyes reflecting the fire from the sky, his chocolate locks brushing past them occasionally with the wind. The time was now. I was going to do this. 

I removed the box from my pocket and rose up from my seat. I got down on one knee in front of him with the wooden box and the brat all but freaks out. “Oh my God, are you..Is that a ….? Please you don’t need to..”

“Calm down, Eren, You are going to make me chicken out. Do you know how hard this is for me? I am going to do this properly dammit. I won’t have you bringing it up on our 25th Anniversary that I didn’t get down on one knee and propose to you formally.”

“I’m sorry…it’s just..I wasn’t expecting….The food, the champagne, the breathtaking sunset from the water…” He stuttered and I could see tiny glistening beads of tears forming in his eyes. I really started to question if I could go through with this, looking at the emotional mess that the brat was turning into and even worse, I started feeling the same way he looked. But we had come this far and this meant the world to me. I had to go through with it, despite the fears in my heart. “Wait…25 years from now. Oh Levi, I would never criticize you; you’ve done so much for me. And my goodness, by then we’ll have done so many wonderful things and if we ever have children, they will be headed off to start their own lives and hopefully finding the same kind of love we have.” He looked down on me and I could only see the galaxy of colors swirling in his eyes and I had to shake my head once or twice to clear my thoughts and get back to the task at hand.

“Kids? Oh lord, please. We can discuss that later. For now, you know I am not good at this type of shit, Eren. Look how stubborn I was to even admit how I felt about you. So you must realize that this is extremely important for me. I never envisioned me loving anyone the way I feel about you, let alone proposing marriage. You’ve opened my eyes and my heart to so many beautiful things. I’ve been coming to these islands for years and never once cared to step foot on one, but you took me on one excursion and suddenly I want to see every amazing sight there is to see with you. But even if we never get to go anywhere else, there is only one magnificent sight that I want to wake up to every morning and go to sleep next to every night. That would be you-Eren. Would you grant my fondest wish and marry me?”


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Ok, so I finally got to ask the question. Whew, was I nervous. But nothing compared to the anxiety building after that. The silence on that sailboat was deafening. I looked deep into his eyes for any sign of an answer and I could see tiny beads of moisture pool in the corners with nothing but my reflection staring back at me. I started to panic internally as all kinds of negative thoughts flooded through me. Eren was never one to be silent; he was always there with the right words to say. it was so unsettling now to not get a reply from him. Was he angry that I had asked? Was he not ready to take that step yet? Or maybe he didn't want to take that step with me? He had mentioned children a few moments ago; I could never provide that for him and maybe he was just realizing that. I just wanted an answer dam it. Was it that upsetting that he wanted to cry? Did he hate the ring? I thought I was going to suffocate and die right there on the spot from not knowing. I was terrified to speak but more scared of not knowing.

 

"Eren?"

I didn't immediately get my answer as instead of speaking, Eren pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. I almost dropped the box in my hand in surprise at his sudden reaction. All of the words he was holding back came rushing out with a fury, almost knocking me over as I was still hunched down on one knee. 

 

"Of course, I will. I can't believe this. I never thought you would ask...I never imagined. I've dreamed of this for as long as I can remember. And the ring, it is gorgeous. It must have cost a fortune, oh my... I just, I ...."

It seemed he ran out of steam at that point and I felt him clasp on to me tighter, feeling wetness seep through my shirt on my shoulder. "Are you crying, brat? Stop that- this is supposed to be a happy occasion- you did just say yes, correct?"

 

"Yes, yes, there are not enough yes's in the world and if you want me to stop crying, you better stop too."

 

"What are you talking about, brat? I don't cry."

 

"Ok, then. Your eyes are leaking no matter what you say." I reached up and felt moisture there- not even knowing that I had. Leave it to Eren to always make me do things out of character. I had cried once when I had first realized my feelings for him and now I was doing it again, but out of joy and relief. 

"Shitty brat, only for you. I love you."

 

"I love you too. When did you get a chance to plan all of this? And the ring- where did you.."

 

"Oh, hold on, can I put it on your finger? You said yes, and I want to make it official and all."

He held out his left hand for me and we both stood back up, my back admittedly a little stiff from the awkward position. I gently removed the ring from the box and slipped it onto his finger, holding my breath and praying that it would fit enough so he could wear it. 

 

The ring looked amazing on his finger, glimmering with intensity and was almost a perfect fit. It might just need to be sized down a tiny bit but seemed secure enough for him to wear it without it just slipping right off. Thank the gods of the sea for a miracle and I released the breath I had been holding. "It's an Alexandrite."

 

"I could have sworn it was the same color of my eyes but now it's almost a deep violet shade." He looked at it in awe as it sparkled in the last few dying rays of the sun. 

 

"It will change colors in different light- since it is almost twilight, it is picking up the fire and dusky shades of the sky. But it pales in comparison to the fire in your eyes."

 

The kid actually blushed profusely with that comment and I felt my cheeks heat up slightly as well. I wasn't great at spewing sweet sentiments but it was exactly how I felt at the moment. "Levi, don't say such things- I might die of embarrassment."

 

"You can't die on me now brat. As my fiancé, we have a wedding to plan, a honeymoon to coordinate and the rest of our lives together to enjoy." 

 

"Fiancé...I almost think I am dreaming...it's just too perfect; it can't be real. Even the ring though I feel it's weight on my finger- it’s amazing. How did you even know my ring size- I don't even own a ring?"

 

"It was not easy let me tell you." I decide to just leave it at that, not wanting to go into the details and the racy images it stirs. I settle for answering him with a passionate kiss and he returns it with everything that makes him the astonishing person he is. "Before we get totally lost in the moment, I need to sail us back to the dock and get back to La Liberte. We will continue this there, I promise." I said with a playful and genuine smile, knowing we could both hardly wait to enjoy our first time as fiancés.

 

I had to be extra careful on the way back since the lighting was almost gone and this particular sailboat was mostly equipped for daytime voyages only. I enjoyed the freedom and pride I got whenever, I was sailing on the open seas without the crutch of modern instrumentation but I was not foolish enough to take unnecessary risks, especially now I had my fiancé with me. I never wanted to endanger him in any way and wholeheartedly looked forward to a long life together.

Before long, we had made it back and I sadly lowered the anchor and tied the sailboat securely to the dock. Captain Thies was waiting for us, a huge, knowing smile on his face.

 

"So how did she handle for you , Captain Levi? You two are absolutely beaming so I can assume all went well?”

 

"Oh yes, this is a magnificent boat. It was incredible to go sailing again after so many years." I smiled slightly.

"I am glad to hear it. Feel free to come back anytime. I always have at least one sailboat available. But I dare say it wasn't just the little excursion that made you two so happy, was it?"

 

Eren just blushed and leaned into me closely. I really didn't know this man that well and it just didn't feel right to have him as the first person we shared our engagement status with.

 

"Suffice it to say, Eren and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the gorgeous sunset. Did you need one of my men to clean out the boat? I made sure to put all trash in a big bag and wiped everything down but there are a few plates and glasses around."

 

"No, no that's fine. I have some people who will take care of that. It’s all part of the service. You didn’t even need to clean what you did; however, your reputation as an extremely neat person precedes you. It was an honor to have you sail one of my boats, Captain Levi.”

“And I am grateful to be given a chance to sail one of your magnificent vessels. She is well taken care of and floats along like a dream. Eren and I would love to sail on her again when we come back next year.”

“Until then, Captain. Have a safe voyage back to your home port.”

We turned and made the short walk back to La Liberte, hand in hand, like walking on clouds. It felt so surreal that I was able to successfully put aside my fears and ask Eren. Now I had a fiancé. I would be getting married soon. I could barely contain my excitement and looked forward to the leisurely voyage back to France that would us to plan out lots of details along the way. I could sense Eren was excited too, as a slight electricity seemed to pulse through him and I could feel the slight buzzing in my fingers where our hands were connected. 

Since Eren had the entire night off and I still needed to complete some work before the voyage home, I brought him up to the bridge so we could be together while I finished up. I just couldn’t bear to be separated from him, even though I knew it wouldn’t take much time to complete my tasks. Eren excited me, he calmed me, he made me feel alive. Without him, I was nothing anymore and there were just no words to describe the immense joy I felt that night knowing he had agreed to spend the rest of his life with me, just as I was dedicated to him heart and soul for all time. I finished my work in record time, eager to spend some quality time with my fiancé.

No sooner did I put my pen down, Eren had pounced on my, lips crashing together and hands groping all over for purchase. I suddenly didn’t even care that we were on the bridge of the massive cruise ship and was less than ideal for privacy’s sake. Luckily while I was working, the crafty little brat had locked the door and cleared a space on the chart table where I would normally map out the best routes to sail. He carried me over to it and that night on that table, Eren and I mapped out each other’s bodies, lost in pleasure as we fucked each other into oblivion. Every so often as our bodies connected and rocked back and forth I would catch a glimpse of the stone on his finger and every time, it blazed a different color. Each time more beautiful than the last until we were finally spent and collapsed onto the small leather couch in the room. The last sight I had that night were of my lover’s gorgeous eyes and I still had to admit that as beautiful as the ring was, Eren’s eyes were still unmatched in their perfection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so excited. They agreed to get married and now all of the fun planning for the big day can begin.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The next morning arrived, sun shining bright and hopefully a good omen of the many bright and happy years we would share together. We were stiff and sore from our overnight romp on the bridge which was something I never thought I would do but I would gladly do it again as it seemed to turn on an already overly eager Jaeger into an insatiable beast. I went to housekeeping as soon as we left the room and had our two most reliable room attendants go and scrub the whole place down from top to bottom.

I was dreading the long 2- week voyage back to France but could not wait to get back home. Eren and I had lots to plan and had even started talking about a setting a date in between rounds the evening before. I thought a spring ceremony would be nice but wouldn't leave much time for proper preparation. Eren wanted an early winter setting right before we headed back to the Caribbean. Neither of us had a huge list of guests we wanted to invite to share in the ceremony so at least we would have no issues keeping the affair small and intimate. The only challenge think we might encounter is that I tend to have a more expensive taste and the brat will want to keep things simple. Either way, it depended on availability on the place we decided to hold the ceremony and reception and of course on when we could get some time off. We’d have tons to discuss with my cousin Tiffany and of course Erwin, who would be the one to approve the time off as well as hopefully preside over the marriage. He was one of my best friends after all and he could officiate at any ceremony at sea. 

So even though Eren and I couldn’t pick an exact date until we got back to France, there was still plenty to discuss to help make the long journey back home go by quicker. I knew the first thing Tiffany would want to know as a coordinator would be how many guests we were planning to have and what our budget was.   
Personally, I could count on one hand the people I would want at the wedding. I would have Erwin officiate so I wasn't even sure who the best man would be. I guess I would be obligated to invite Dr. Hanji or I'd never hear the end of it. Other than that, I really had very little family left and there was no way in hell I was going to invite all of the officers of La Liberte. There were just way too many people and the rule of courtesy would be if I invited one, I'd have to invite them all. I just had to be sure Eren didn't inadvertently manage to get the entire crew to appear at the ceremony. His openness and friendliness to everyone was commendable; however, if we were going to have a private ceremony at the place I had in mind, we couldn't accommodate that many. I had my heart set on a certain place and it would be just perfect.  
It was near Bordeaux and was just the most picturesque place I could imagine to hold a fairy-tale wedding. If someone had told me a few years ago that I would be planning nuptials fit for a princess, I would say I needed a lobotomy and the icing on the cake that my pretty princess was actually a gorgeous prince, I would have just laughed sarcastically. How the tides have changed as I immediately recalled a magical place my parents had visited once for a summer vacation. There just happened to be a wedding on one of the days we were there and it had to be one of the most moving things I had ever seen, even from a distance since we were not actually part of the wedding. The place was called Château Lagorce. It was a beautiful castle at one time but had been converted to a chateau. They had a crystal clear lake nearby and plenty of acres to set up a simple or elaborate backdrop for the ceremony and reception. There were about 25 rooms that I would rent out so all of the guests and wedding party could spend the night or two so there would be no pressure to get there on time. We could have a beautiful and virtually stress-free day to start off the rest of our life together. A peaceful, private, romantic location to celebrate our commitment and love to each other in front of our closest friends and family. Of course, the fact that we would be close to one of the best sources of fine wine in the world was not lost on me either. While I refused to have a lot of alcohol at the reception, I wanted to be sure to serve some of the finest wines and champagne. And no one better even think about getting drunk and causing any type of shenanigans. This was a former castle for heaven’s sake and I refused to think anyone would be that immature and ruin our classy wedding. 

When I approached Eren with these ideas, he was thrilled. He loved the idea of the chateau being like a castle and even joked that he wanted a frilly, elaborate gown and long veil and train so he could play the part of a princess. At least I hoped he was joking. As curious as I would be to see Eren all dressed up in white lace, I fell in love with the man and wanted to see him all dressed up in a tuxedo again. And luckily Eren claimed he didn’t have a lot of close friends he would want to invite and like me had very few family members left so we could easily host everyone at the chateau. It would be exclusive to just our event and that would be wonderful as long as it was available. That would be there very first thing I would have to work with Tiffany on. I wasn’t sure how popular the place was; however, I had a feeling it would be in high demand and booking would be at a premium no matter the time of year. I pulled up some pictures of the chateau on the computer in my office and Eren agreed wholeheartedly that it would be worth it to wait until we can a booking there. I assured him I had no patience to wait and if anyone could guarantee a slot, it was my cousin Tiffany. 

Eren then started mentioning that we needed to pick the colors we wanted. Again knowing the absolute minimum, I had no clue that there was a color scheme to weddings. I never paid that close attention to the few I had ever attended but I guess it made sense. I really didn’t give a shit which colors, as long as they didn’t clash.  
“I guess we can just pick your favorite colors and that is fine with me,” I explained, deciding Eren would be more knowledgeable about this stuff than I was and therefore could make these decisions.

“It wouldn’t be fair if it was just up to me. It will be ‘our’ big day and I want it to be prefect medley of us both. So we will pick one color each, other than black and white since they will be used a lot anyway. So what is your favorite color, Levi?”

“Your eyes.” Was my reply. I could look at them all day and only that color could elicit feelings of serenity, joy and of course lust, from deep within.

Eren seemed a little flustered from my reply, obviously expecting me to give a specific color, which really had no set name since the shade did tend to change like the ring he proudly wore on his finger. “So....should we generalize and call that ‘Teal’?

“I guess that’s a close match if we had to tie it down to just one shade. So what’s your favorite color?”

“Well, I love a nice, rich golden hue but that won’t really work well with teal, so I would have to go with one of my newer favorites, which should look perfect mixed with the teal. Silver.”

“Hmmm, silver and teal. Yeah, I can see those two colors working out nicely. I will write that down on the paperwork I’ll need to hand over to my cousin. At this rate, we should be able to fork over the information to Tiffany as soon as we get back to France and she’ll just have to run with it to make it all go from written word to reality. We already have the guest list which is perfect at approximately 30 people total. We have our colors now. I know exactly where we want to hold the ceremony and I won’t take no for an answer on that, so that basically leaves the smaller details like our clothing, the wedding bands, the flowers and the foods to be served at the reception.”

“Hmmm, there is one more major thing that we need to plan together.”

“Oh and what is that, brat?” I said, not sure what else we could be forgetting.

“We still need to decide where we want to go on our honeymoon. Of course, we could spend it in your quarters and I would be just as happy.” He practically blinded me with that smile of his, all kinds of wonderful thoughts going through his mind, I was sure. 

“We’ll have to get some brochures of a few romantic, private getaways and decide. Did you have any particular place in mind?”

“As long as we are together, I don’t think it will matter and after a wedding in a fairytale castle, how could we possibly top that? I would love for it to be in a warm, tropical place on the ocean if we can, but like I said, anywhere with you would be perfect.”

“We’ll find a nice place. But for now, the Captain’s gala is tonight so I need to get ready and so do you.” We both got up from my couch reluctantly and I lovingly slapped him on the ass to get him moving.

“Do we have to? Seems like we just started planning and there is still so much more to discuss. I wanna stay here,” he whined and gave me the puppy dog eyes. It took almost all of my willpower to resist that little shit. Didn’t he know I would prefer to spend the evening making love rather than socializing with the passengers? So I just gave him my signature glare until he started to head to my door.

“I know, I need to go. I am going,” he said as he gave me a sweet kiss on his way out the door. “I’ll see you tonight.”

A few hours later, we were both in the dining room, Eren floated around, spreading joy and smiles to our passengers as he went, ensuring they were having a positive experience. I was waiting at the officer’s table, dessert to be served soon. Usually, Eren would bring the dessert platter over to our table but tonight, Chef Moblit appeared from the kitchen along with a big cake. I figured it must have been a rich patron’s birthday, as this type of event happened rarely. So imagine my surprise when the Chef announced he had a special congratulation to pass on. 

“Good evening everyone. Please join me and the officers in congratulating our prestigious Captain Levi on his recent engagement to our lovely head waiter, Eren. A toast to you two! Cheers!”

Everyone raised their glasses and cheered loudly. I was shocked as I hadn’t announced anything to the crew yet, as I was waiting for our return to France to make it official. I could only guess that Hanji let Moblit in on our little secret. Eren and I sincerely thanked everyone and the servers passed out pieces of cake to everyone after Eren took a quick picture of it. We later agreed that whoever made that cake would be the one to make our Wedding cake since it was both gorgeous and delicious. Another thing to check off our list as we got closer and closer to our home port. Closer to our life together in wedded bliss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these two making little plans for their big day. And that chateau is the real deal- I couldn't resist them having the ceremony at an old castle- so romantic and picturesque. Hope you enjoyed and thanks as always!


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

For the next few days, news of our engagement spread like wildfire throughout the crew. While I was more social than I had ever been, I still didn't feel comfortable having a bunch of people I hardly knew approach me and want to pat me on the shoulder or shake my hand. I tried to take a cue from Eren who was taking all of the attention in stride but while his responses were genuine, I felt like I was about to break from all of the half smiles I was forced to show. About two days before we made it back to France, the congratulations died down and Eren and I had plenty of free time to discuss the last few details we would need before we would set up a meeting with my wedding-planner cousin. I had called Tiffany ahead before we left the Caribbean, knowing being a one-woman business, she would be busy and difficult to get an appointment with. Luckily, being family, she said she would do everything she could to adjust her schedule to meet with us once we got back home. She was the best and only the best would do. I never imagined I would be getting married but now that I was, I knew she'd be the only one I trusted such an important even to. Eren was so easygoing and was pleased with anything but my discriminating taste was a little more difficult to satisfy. 

For example, we both had totally different ideas on what type of foods to be served at the reception. We finally both agreed on having a small buffet of appetizers available when guests first arrived to please Eren's request for simple finger foods and then rather than a luxurious meal of surf and turf for dinner like I would prefer, we opted for a more down-home comfort- food choice of roasted chicken with potatoes and root vegetables. I was still sorely tempted to slip the chef a bonus if he happened to slap a piece of beef tenderloin on my plate while Eren wasn't looking, however, I was sure that I could order plenty of luxurious entrees while on our honeymoon. 

Speaking of which, trying to narrow down a destination for the honeymoon was proving to be the most difficult task. Both of us had come up with some amazing possibilities and I was quite impressed with the research that Eren had put into his choices. I knew he spoke about his travels with his parents when he was younger on occasion when they were doing immunizations for underprivileged children; however, I had no idea this had inspired him to research all sorts of locations around the world. I had to admit that even with my military career carrying me around all sorts of forsaken places, there were some options Eren gave that I had never even heard of, such as Las Roques, Venezula or Lord Howe Island in the South Pacific. While both sounded heavenly for only accommodating around 20-40 people at one time, the privacy was not worth the risk in case an emergency arose. The nearest hospitals were too far for comfort, accessible only by boat or helicopter and while I envisioned that most of our time would be spent in the comfort of each other’s naked selves in an air conditioned room on a huge bed, I was sure the brat would want to wander out for a few adventures. We were both active types and as much as we enjoyed relaxing, we would go stir crazy if we spent too much time in the hotel room. Also, we still had to consider that we had no idea how much time we'd be allowed to take. I had a shit ton of vacation time saved up from years of skipping out on recreation time. Eren said he also rarely utilized his vacation time while working for the cruiseline; however, having less seniority than I, he had a much smaller allotment of days to take. That and I was sure Erwin would not allow us to take too much time since we both held important positions and vacation was often encouraged during scheduled dry dock renovations to the ship. So we had to consider that when factoring in our choice. If we had a limited amount of time we wouldn't want to go too far. And so the final list got narrowed down to two choices each at that point: one for a shorter period of time and one for a longer getaway.

We chose the Amalfi Coast in Italy or Santorini, Greece if we needed to stay close to home and if we could manage to get away for an extended honeymoon, we would pick from either Bora Bora or any of the islands in Fiji. All of those places would still have moderate temperatures in the early fall, which is when we decided to hold the wedding- honestly, I didn't admit it to the brat, but I just couldn't wait until the next spring. I knew Tiffany would be pissed that I wanted to plan everything in about 6 months; but I know she worked perfectly under a little pressure.

There was still the choice of clothing to make and Eren made it clear he wanted to pick out his outfit on his own, much to my chagrin. He wanted to keep what we were going to war to be a secret until we saw each other on the big day. Deep down, I realized he would look amazing in just about anything but I wanted to coordinate so we wouldn't be clashing. My OCD was going to ruin the day if he showed up in something that was a complete mismatch. I wouldn't even want to take any photos. We agreed to keep within our color scheme, though I still had some reservations. I was however able to compensate for my fears by incessantly teasing the brat with tons of pictures of lacy wedding dresses that I declared would be perfect for him. The jerk took my taunting in stride though. SO much so that I was starting to fear that he would end up walking down the aisle in one of those frilly concoctions, complete with a veil and long train. Again, my poor lovestruck brain wasn't sure if that site would be an abomination or if it would have an opposite, nose-bleed causing effect. I personally knew exactly where I wanted to go in France to get my outfit hand tailored. I tried to pass the name of the shop to Eren, but he refused knowing that there would be a chance of getting a premature glance at the other's outfit before the ceremony and since he insisted on covering the cost of his outfit, he wanted a more affordable option. Being spoiled with having to wear a uniform for work most of the time, I understood how a clothing budget was always small for most cruiseline employees. Luckily I was able to afford something to match my impeccable taste and need for custom sizing due to my stature. Eren with his perfectly sized body wouldn't have nearly as many issues and should be able to find something very nice at a more reasonable cost. 

 

So the day before we reached our home port, we only had some minor details to work through like flowers and decorations for the ceremony and reception. I knew Eren loved orchids but with them being a tropical flower and not quite in the color scheme we were going with, I figured I would arrange for our hotel room for our honeymoon to be filled with those as a surprise for Eren. For the actual event, I really wanted to go traditional with white roses. Eren said that roses would fit in perfectly. He was so excited to experience the whole thing first hand and also wanted to pick out my ring and write his own vows. While I really wanted us to have matching bands, I thought it would be touching to have one that the other picked out on their own. I just hoped I wouldn’t have the same nerve-wracking experience I had when looking for his engagement ring. It all turned out perfectly in the end; however, I was stressed and frantic while searching. 

As for the vows, if I was really shitty at expressing my emotions properly, I had zero experience in writing them down and then memorizing them to say on front of our closest friends and family. I promised myself to go and read some poetry and shit to try to get some inspiration so I could at least sound a tiny bit romantic when reciting them. If I didn’t, I knew that I would be totally put to shame by the sweet words that the brat would just roll off of his lovely tongue. 

Everything else, I would just rely on the competence of my cousin. She knew better than all of us combined how to make the day the most special for the couple. All of the little details like the photographer, music and invitations would be fully left to her discretion. I trusted Tiffany that much and Eren was just a perfect angel to agree with me and let her take full control of those plans while we concentrated on what meant the most to us.

The next day, we arrived back in France and while the ship had a full day to get a thorough cleaning and resupply after the long journey home, I made an appointment with Tiffany for the following week to meet with her and get the plans underway. I also made an appointment to meet with Erwin to discuss the vacation time and to ask if he would officiate at the wedding ceremony. There was very little other free time that day as there were a ton of inspections to complete and also a mountain of paperwork to be completed. Thank goodness I actually didn’t have to worry about holding a new employee orientation meeting. Only a handful of employees left the company once we were back in Cannes and since we were in our homeport, we could backfill those positions from any of the other Survey Corps Cruise ships. That must have been where the three unfamiliar crewmen were from that I was watching load new supplies onto the bottom deck for cleaning supplies. I may not get to engage personally with the majority if the employees onboard, I took pride in know who everyone was. I had never seen these three before and I had to admit they seemed a tad bit shady. I quickly dismissed any concerns about them, knowing that Erwin would have approved the transfer to La Liberte from any of the other ships. I was too busy looking forward to dinner that evening with Eren and enjoying the fact that we were back home again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a bit short, but it seemed a good place to end before the next chapter. I can't wait for them to meet with the wedding planner! Also, in this chapter I mentioned 4 possible destinations for the honeymoon. I thought I would open up a vote with my readers to choose where our two lovebirds will go. Please let me know what you think and thanks for reading!


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Later that evening, Eren and I had a lovely dinner together in my room. There was just something romantic about being back in France and we enjoyed food, a little bit of wine and then each other before getting to bed early.  
I was lucky enough to get a quick meeting scheduled with Admiral Smith in the early morning before we headed out. We'd only had a 1-day break after the long Trans-Atlantic voyage, so I wanted to at least get that out of the way. After speaking to my cousin, her busy-ass self was booked up with appointments all week, but I was able to convince her to pencil me in the week afterwards after promising to bring her back some sweet treats from Italy. Luckily for her, it was the 2nd to last stop on the way back to Cannes so they would still be fresh enough. Crazy how I have to bribe a relative. I mean, how many times did she expect me to get married and she knew damned well I would need her help? From the way she sounded over the phone, I was convinced she thought I was joking due to her sarcastic laughter. I guess it runs in the family but who would joke about such a thing? Oh well, at least I got an appointment with Ms. In-Demand regardless. All of those other Bridezillas could suck it and wait.

I made short work of all of my morning tasks and got an early start out to meet with the Admiral for breakfast at a quaint little cafe near the port. He had invited Eren to join us; however, he wanted to assist all of his servers with getting comfortable with the new Spring menu. It was always a bit of adjustment for the few ships that had seasonal itinerary changes. The cuisine served in the Caribbean reflected the culture and flavors of the islands; while the European destinations called for a totally different menu. The chefs had added a lot of new dishes that the servers had to become familiar with and while Eren wasn't as hands on as the servers, he wanted to get acquainted with the recent additions so he could assist with any issues that arose. So that left me to deal with Erwin on my own. I knew he wouldn't have any issues with attending the ceremony; however, I dreaded the lecture that might happen with the vacation time. I knew he'd never admit it, but despite him urging me to take my vacation time, I knew deep down he appreciated the fact that he could always rely on me to command the fleet's most popular and respected ship. I could easily take an entire month off to spend with my spouse in newly-wedded bliss but I debated whether or not I should even push my luck. I figured it would be safest to ask for two weeks and if Erwin balked too much, Eren and I could still enjoy a lovely honeymoon with a week's time.  
It was a beautiful day so I opted to walk to the café , knowing Erwin would drive me back when we were done so I wanted to enjoy the fresh air while I could. When I arrived, the admiral was already there, even though I was still early. Jerk just always had to one-up everyone . He was sitting at a table and had obviously already ordered since I had barely greeted him and my ass had not even hit the chair before a flaky croissant and a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of me. 

I thanked the waitress and took a sip of tea. It appeared as if Erwin had already eaten as his plate contained nothing but crumbs and his coffee cup was half full. So he obviously wanted to get right down to business. I quickly finished off my pastry, a bit peeved I didn’t have a chance to savor my first treat after coming back home. However, I wanted to get this over with as well, so I’d have a better idea of the time off we’d be able to work with and get my lovely wedding planner busy with booking everything for us. 

“So I hear that congratulations are in order, Levi?” he started with a question when I knew damn well Hanji would have already blurted out the news to him.

“Please don’t feel obligated, Erwin..”

“Nonsense! I wish you and Eren all the best. I am happy you finally found someone to settle down with.”

“Thank you. Just don’t expect me or Eren to become a cute housewife anytime soon. I won’t beat around the bush. I want you to officiate at our ceremony and we also need to know how much time in October you can spare to give us time off for the wedding and honeymoon.”

“Wow, first of all, I am flattered you want me to marry the two of you. I was really hoping I could be best man. I have the most amazing place in mind for your bachelor party.”

“I don’t have time for that nonsense and we haven’t decided on anyone in the wedding party yet. It will be a very small and intimate ceremony. I meet with Tiffany next week.”

“Oh good. She is the best. People are still talking about my wedding that she planned and that was many years ago now.”

“Yes, I know I was the one that introduced you two remember. She was just starting out and needed a big event to get some publicity and a good reputation. It worked out perfectly, except for the few goons that got shit-faced and went a little crazy at the reception. I assure you I won’t put up with any of that bullshit at my wedding. I’ll personally kick any offenders out on their asses.”

“I’m sure you would. You almost did at my wedding. I had to hold you back physically to prevent you from beating up my wife’s father. So let me look at the October schedule. Why so soon though? I could have made better arrangements if I had more notice.”

“What? A little over 6 months isn’t enough notice? Aren’t you the one always pressuring me to take more time off?” I glared at his nonchalant expression.

“Well, yes. You never take off more than a short time. I swore you would marry that ship one- you never wanted to be away from her.”

“If you must know, Mr. Nosy Eyebrows, La Liberte is my pride and joy and at that time, I only felt worthwhile while at the helm. I didn’t have any other purpose, but now I do.”

“I’m happy for you Levi. Eren is a wonderful person and you two are good for each other. I’m sure the wedding will be beautiful. I can’t praise Tiffany enough for the excellent work she did for us. The bad news though is that I can only allow you one week in October for vacation. I can cover as Captain for that one week, but I have a seminar the last two weeks and the first week, I’ll be doing my yearly inspection and review of L’Etoile. So that just leaves the 2nd week in October free.”

“Well, at least that narrows down our honeymoon destinations since we won’t have much time…”

“As a consolation and part of your wedding gift, we have a two week period in late spring-February where I can give you two lovebirds up to 3 weeks off. You can celebrate honeymoon part 2 then.”

“Thank you Erwin; that would be amazing. I’m sure Eren will be thrilled. I better head back and let him know so we can choose our destination and finalize the dates before we meet with Tiffany next week.”

I finished my tea and Erwin drove me back to the dock. I immediately went looking for Eren so I could let him know the news from the Admiral. I found him getting some coffee from one of the resident baristas at the ship’s little café. I was so afraid he’d be disappointed with only having a week for our honeymoon, therefore limiting our choices; however, he was still so ecstatic that we were able to get those 7 days. So we came to the decision to plan for Santorini. We’d leave the details to my cousin so we could be completely surprised when the time came, like being whisked off in a horse drawn carriage to a perfect getaway. I dare say we were both giddy with excitement now that we had a date and had taken our first steps for the ceremony.

That week flew by and in no time, it was the day of our appointment with our wedding planner. I warned Eren that my cousin could be a little overzealous but nowhere near as bad as Dr. Hanji. Sadly she could also be a little sarcastic and outspoken. Eren assured me he would be fine and was happy that she would be no nonsense. “If she is like you, I’ll be sure to get along with her just fine.” He told me on the drive over to her office and I could only chuckle, knowing she was very much like me.

When we arrived at her place, we knocked on her door and was greeted by diminutive woman who stood an inch or two shorter than myself. The door had opened and slammed shut so quickly, it actually created a burst of air that messed up my hair. A tiny voice behind the door yelled “We don’t want any! Go away!”

I knew I hadn’t seen my cousin since Erwin’s wedding but hadn’t expected such a dismissive greeting. Who the fuck did she think I was? Maybe she only saw Eren when she opened the door? I raised my hand up to knock again and started to yell back, “Tif…you better…Oompf…”

I never got to finish shouting at her as the door opened back up right before I had connected with it and soon I found myself tumbling forward and then caught in a bruising bear hug. 

“Levi! It’s been way too long! And this must be Eren?” she squealed as she released her death grip on me and looked up at my fiancé.

“Yes, Eren, this is my cousin Tiffany LaClaire. Tiffany, this is Eren Jaeger.”

“Eren! So happy to finally meet you!” she screamed as she pulled Eren into a hug along with me so we were in some sort of huddle like before a big sports competition or something. 

“Uh Tiffany, can we go inside? I think some of the neighbors are getting frightened.” I tried to convince her let us go and head into her office.

“Nonsense, all of the neighbors know how loud I can be. They don’t mind as long as I bring them back some leftovers sometimes from a wedding. Speaking of which, where are my biscotti?” I handed the brown paper bag I had brought with me as my offering to her as promised. She laughed as she grabbed the bag greedily and we went inside.

Her office was tastefully decorated in minimalist contemporary design- much like my townhome. We took a seat at one of the couches while she went behind her desk. “So, knowing you Levi, do you have your date and places all picked out already?”

“You know me, always planning ahead. Here is a folder of dates, times, places, colors, foods- just about everything we want, already chosen. We just need you to put it all together so we can simply show up, get married and head off to our honeymoon in wedded bliss.”

“I should have known you’d already made up your mind about everything- you are such a killjoy. I don’t even get to recommend any place nice to you. Did you even let Eren pick anything or did you talk him into leaving it all up to you and your impeccable taste?” she teased but Eren wasn’t quite sure if she was being serious or not.

“Of course we discussed many options together and everything was decided on mutually.” He replied.

“I’m just being a bitch, Eren. Sorry. I am glad you two were able to plan together. That’s a huge precursor to how the marriage will be when you can work in harmony right from the start. Now let’s take a peek at what you two are looking at and how I can turn those ideas into your dream wedding.”

Tiffany opened the folder and skimmed through our plans, nodding here and there but otherwise keeping a neutral expression the whole time. She put down the folder on the desk when she was done and looked at us. I was confident she would just tell us to leave it all to her and she’d get to work on it. I wasn’t expecting her to lash out and go crazy on us as she slowly stood up. “Are you fucking insane Levi! How the hell do you expect me to get a date set for Château Lagorce in just 6 months from now. You realize they are booked solid for the next five fucking years???!! Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!” she screamed as she threw her hands up in the air and paced wildly about her office. I knew the Chateau was popular but had no idea it was in demand that much. I knew it would take some convincing to get my cousin to try. I just needed to think what would work on me and then it should work on her by proxy. Aha! I whispered into Eren’s ear and he set to work right away.

“Ms. Tiffany, Levi says that you are the best wedding planner in all of France and if anyone can get us our wedding date there, you can. We only have this limited week to make this happen or we’d have to wait until Spring to get married. Levi and I just can’t bear to wait that long, so please can you help us?” He gave her the best puppy-dog eyes ever and in mere seconds, I could see her melt just like me. She put her hands down and walked over to him. She grabbed both of his hands and said “Don’t worry Eren. I’ll get you and Levi that date at the Chateau. But it will cost you. I'll let you know later just what I want.”

She let go of his hands and went back to her desk to open the folder up again. “Ok you two, thanks to your discriminating taste, I have a shit-ton of work to start on right now if we are going to meet this deadline. So get the fuck out of here. Oh and congratulations.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed the sassy wedding planner! We'll be seeing more of her later on for sure. Thanks for reading!


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Eren wasn't quite sure what to make of the whirlwind meeting with my wedding planner cousin. He hadn't really been given a chance to say more than a few words but I assured him that this was a normal exchange between us. Eren and I had already provided Tiffany with most of the details so there wasn't much need for idle chit chat. She would take everything and run with it and I was confident all would be meticulously executed. All Eren and I would need to do would be to get dressed and show up at the Chateau. The rest would flow like a river. Eren actually laughed at that, "I don't doubt that. Your cousin seemed razor sharp when it came to her job but most things in my life have never been smooth. I'm sure it will be the most amazing day of my life but I still have to expect that something will happen."

 

I could only just tsk at him, "Hey, don't jinx anything now."

 

"I'm not- just saying that I am fully aware that not everything may fall into place like a storybook fairy tale and I am perfectly fine with that." he said as he wrapped his warm arms around me. “As long as I can continue to be with you. “ His embrace was always so warm and confident. I could stay like that for hours in his arms, that was just how amazing it felt. Eren obviously had other ideas in mind rather than stand still in the middle of my quarters as he started kissing my neck, then up to my lips and then making a trail all down my chest to my waist. 

 

The next few minutes were a total blur as somehow, we both ended up stark naked and on my bed. The lube and condoms were already out and at the ready and Eren soon made quick work of preparing himself for me. I never grew tired of seeing him come undone and while I preferred to play a more active role, I was perfectly content to watch for then at least. I didn’t have to wait too long before I was working up a sweat, pounding into Eren’s sweet ass in a steady rhythm. If I thought his embrace was warm, the heat inside of him was like a volcano. Between the tightness and the warmth, I never lasted too long, but I wanted to be sure to please the young brat who so lovingly and willingly opened himself up for me, body and soul. With the frantic pace I was using, it wasn’t long before both of us reached our limit and experienced the most amazing high together. We quickly got into the shower afterwards and I couldn’t resist a second round of sucking Eren off while the hot, soapy water rained down on us. I just never could get enough of the brat.

 

  
After getting cleaned up and wrapped in our fluffy robes, we got back into the bed. Since our meeting with Tiffany only lasted for half of the time I had allotted, Eren and I had an unprecedented luxury of just lazing about for almost 2 hours before I had to get back to work and he had a few more hours after that before his shift started. We cuddled together and spoke about all sorts of little things, like how we hoped there was no bad weather for the wedding and honeymoon and when we were going to find time to visit our respective tailors to have our suits made. Eren had a slight advantage over me on that regard. He always worked the lunch and dinner rotation since there was only a breakfast buffet available with no need for the head server to supervise. That left each morning free to run errands, and make appointments. The downside was he worked late but still never missed a sunrise jog with me. I by no means ever grew tired of experiencing the two most amazing views on the ship first thing in the morning. 

 

Eren said he already had his tailor visit scheduled for the next day. He wanted to ensure that they took their time to get everything right and he said the fabric he wanted to use may not be available right away. This way he would have plenty of time to get it made properly and time to make adjustments afterwards if needed. If I had to be honest, I would have loved to bribe his tailor for some pictures of the fittings- partly to make sure his suit would not clash with mine. My OCD about this was still on high alert, fearing he would show up at the altar in some burnt orange suede jumpsuit. I knew this was extremely unlikely but old habits die hard. The other part of me was that I was dying of curiosity and didn't want to wait until our big day to see him all dressed up and also in all states of partial undress. 

 

  
Too soon, I needed to leave our little cocoon. My mental fight with my OCD was overcome for now as my trust in Eren and his better judgment far outweighed my little anxieties. Which brought me to another subject I would need to broach with him soon. There was one major thing we hadn't brought up yet, but needed to be soon, I thought as we both left to go our separate ways for the day and I locked the door. I was fully guilty of a sin of omission as I had not brought up anything about our living arrangements after the wedding. I was one hundred percent certain that I wanted nothing more than to have Eren move into my quarters. Hell, it was one of the main reasons I was pushing for wedding to happen so soon, as only spouses were allowed to share rooms as per the company policy. But like everything else in my life, I still had a tiny grain of anxiety, buried deep down but still abrasive enough to cause a modicum of discomfort. I had lived alone for the majority of my adult life. And I was not unwilling to admit that my stubborn ass was perfectly happy this way. All of my things were arranged to my tastes and organized to my high standards. Not to mention there was never a speck of dust to be found in my regularly sanitized abode both on the ship and in my townhome. What would happen to all of that once I opened up my home to my new spouse? I felt extremely hypocritical that I accepted Eren into my life, my mind and my heart without any hesitation; however, I had some reservations, no matter how small, about him moving in along with his things and his habits. I knew he wasn't slovenly by any means but I also knew he was young and still prone to casually throw things down and ignore them for a little while. I was so afraid to one day lash out at him if he left dirty laundry on the floor or a food-covered dish in the sink. My temper had flared up for way less than that in the past and I was dreading the day when I might unleash that on an unsuspecting Eren. Not to mention that both my quarters and townhome were small. I had lived long enough to realize that every needs some alone time every once and a while. I didn't have a little sanctuary where I could go when I needed some solitary time nor was there anywhere for Eren to do the same. I knew I was foolish for worrying about such minor details but turning over complete control of my home and me to the brat was just a teensy bit terrifying. I wanted to be sure that we hadn't overlooked something as simple as having our own little havens to escape to when needed so that if that time arose, we wouldn't be at each other's throats, possibly endangering the relationship. And deep down that was the bitch of it. I didn't want to take any chances of losing him and losing myself. Everything had happened so fast, it was like getting blown over by a storm- one named Hurricane Eren and I never questioned it. Our feelings for each other were that strong and that pure but there were small details we never considered. I would be damned if they would jeopardize our relationship. As I made it up to the bridge, I made a promise to bring these things up with Eren the next day when he got back from his tailor’s. I soon got down to work, a new sense of peace coming over me. 

I was just about finished up with my duties on the bridge and was about to head out to make my daily inspections. I happened to look down onto the deck below from the large panoramic windows. Those 3 unknown guys I has seen before were hanging out together in a far corner of the ship, huddled together as if discussing some sort of football play or other shit like that. It looked extremely suspicious, so I decided to give the Admiral a call to see where these 3 goons had come from. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to reach him but as I went back to the windows to see if I could get a better look at these guys to describe them to Erwin later on, they were already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry- I know it's a shorter chapter and a little bit of a cliff hanger. I wanted these two to have some sexy times and a little introspection on Levi's part. Hope you enjoyed!


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is completly in Eren's point of view, since it's only fair to get a glimpse into his thoughts and feelings. Enjoy and we'll be back to our regularly scheduled Levi chapter next week.

Chapter 35

Eren's POV

I wasn't really sure what to make of Levi's cousin. At first glance, Tiffany is all business. Dressed formally in business attire and serious-looking, she definitely reminded me of the ever-professional Levi while on duty. I remembered clearly the first few glimpses I had gotten of the softer side of him when we had been jogging and exercising together on a regular basis. The extremely subtle smiles and occasional crude jokes just made me fall even harder than I had been before. But when Tiffany was all business with making a few notes and looking over the requests Levi and I had presented to her and then did a complete 360, I was honestly scared. I wasn't sure if she was extremely ticked off that we were requesting something near impossible to achieve or if she was just getting herself set up into full battle mode to prepare to go deep into the trenches to achieve our requests. I was fully willing to make changes, as needed based on availability as I had no idea that the Chateau was that popular a wedding spot destination but before I could open my mouth, Levi placed his hand firmly on my thigh signaling me to keep quiet. I can only surmise he knew his cousin would accept the challenge. When we got back to the ship, I told my fiancé that I would be more than happy to help make arrangements to let some of the pressure off of Tiffany but he assured me that his cousin worked best when under pressure and besides, she had not quoted a price for her services yet and he was certain it would be dear. After all, she was related to my man who had exquisite taste and expensive needs.

 

Then the rest of the morning got to be spent satisfying Levi's other needs; luckily we definitely shared this craving. We even got some rare, coveted cuddle time afterwards before it was time for Levi to get back to work. I never grew tired of the simple comforts of just laying in Levi’s strong embrace so I cherished every moment of. Too soon though, Levi and I had to disentangle and we went our separate ways for the day. I still had a few hours after that and while a part of me wanted to grab a quick nap before my shift, the morning activities had my thoughts and emotions whirling in my head like a tornado. 

 

I was thrown for a loop, not sure where this surge came from. Levi and I had been discussing plans, making tiny choices and reviewing options for a few weeks, but something about meeting our wedding planner really solidified the situation for me. We were really going to get married. Together. Forever. I felt immensely stupid for having a sudden revelation like this. I knew we were engaged. Hell, I couldn't help but glance at the beautiful ring on my finger countless times a day. I'm sure each time a goofy smile graced my face but I couldn't hold in my joy if I tried. I never thought that one day the Captain and I would be getting married, let alone even dating. It all still felt like a dream. A fantasy that I had held onto for so long that sometimes I had to pinch myself to make sure it was all still real. 

 

When I had first acknowledged my feelings after losing my parents, I really thought I was doomed with a lifetime sentence of unrequited love. After all, I was just some dumb teenager, who had just recently become orphaned. I had no skills other than traveling around and assisting my parents in their missionary-type travels. They had been adamant about getting as many under-privileged children vaccinated for free that we had spent years in all different countries. It had ignited a love of cultural diversity and a slight case of wanderlust that continued on into my young adulthood. Sadly, I was never a great scholar and when my mother had pulled me out for homeschooling due to my need to get into fights to protect the weak, my actual studies went from half-assed to almost non-existent, Neither she nor Dad had much time or patience to sit me down with books while on our vaccinating crusade and I was restless and uncooperative most of the time. 

 

I was coarse and unrefined, but at least had been taught to be polite. I never really got a taste for fancy or fine things as we made do with whatever was on hand as we shifted from one location to another. The countries were poor and we didn't bring many supplies with us. The locals always graciously made sure we had some food but we pretty much camped out most of the time and couldn’t afford to be picky. I’m sure some of the eating conditions I had become accustomed to would have made the fastidiously clean Levi run for the hills. So when it came to the wedding, I was fine with anything he chose, fancy or plain.

 

My appearance was another thing. As an adult, I know perfectly well how to dress appropriately for the occasion. Back then though, I’m sure Levi would have rather died then live in the same clothing for days at a time, sometimes not able to get a proper bath for weeks like I did. There was no room for lots of spare clothes- only what we could each fit in our backpacks. We packed light- everything on that one bag. My dad was the only exception- he also carried his medical bag everywhere he went. When he needed more of the vaccine, we would go back to our home for a brief respite while he made some more in our basement. I remember questioning him once why he didn't just order a supply from the lab and he just said it was a whole lot cheaper for him to make his own so he would have more than enough to go around. He claimed it was costly enough for the tons of syringes he went through and I could attest to that. He used a bunch on me before every trip, since many of the countries we visited were underdeveloped and malaria, tuberculosis and lots of other diseases which barely existed in the United States and Europe thrived there. I guess his homebrew worked as well as any concoction a big lab would create, as I was fortunate to never get sick. Maybe because I rarely got sick anyway. I still grieved over my parents, especially when I thought of all of the good they did in the world and the light they brought to many was extinguished way too soon. There were still so many who could have benefited and I often thought of the many kids that we were able to get to. I could only hope they benefited from the same healthy life I had been graced with and that someone would continue with such work.

 

Which was one thing I did regret; I was not continuing their mission. Would they have thought of me as a failure? I never had the goods to become a doctor or even a nurse. No real skills to speak of, just proficient at working my ass off to move up the ladder of a cruise line, mostly just so I could be near a man I fell in love with at age 15 and couldn't get out of my head. I owned nothing. No house, no car, just the clothes in my stateroom and some money in the bank since I didn't have much to spend it on. So how had I become so lucky to have finally gotten together with the man of my dreams who had turned out to be even more amazing than I had ever thought? What did he see in me? What could I offer him? A good fuck? Some eye and arm candy? Who was I kidding- he still exceeded me in both of those departments anyway so I must have done something right for now to keep me around.

 

But more importantly would he eventually tire of me? Become embarrassed by my non-pedigreed upbringing? We were planning a wedding at a castle where no doubt his high society friends would gather to celebrate the occasion. I could only hope to make a good impression on them to show that I was worthy of his love and devotion. I figured that was why he wanted to make sure I got a proper suit made so I would look presentable. I already knew he would look like a million dollars and I was determined to spend however much to attempt to match his taste. Deep down I hoped to achieve the same reaction I had every time I saw him all dressed up and that was to undress him as quickly as possible to ravish every inch of his god-like body. I could happily spend the rest of my life doing nothing but pleasing him and showing him just how much he meant to me. Somehow, I had won him over and for once I was grateful for my stubbornness. Whatever it took, I would do it.  
That resolution helped me calm down enough to clear my head before I needed to get to work for the day. It was inevitable to have some insecurities but one thing I had no doubts about was our love. It was strong and whatever was going to happen would happen. Maybe even the near-perfect Levi had some anxiety too. As I got ready for work, I decided to get all of my fears out in the open so Levi would know what I was feeling. I would share with him just how lucky I felt to be with him. How often does someone’s dream come true? We would have the perfect wedding and despite the inevitable bumps along the way, I would ensure that we would have our happily ever after.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

The next morning, I resolved to speak to Eren about my insecurities. I just needed to get them out there now so I'd have time to work through my personal, emotional shortcomings before our big day. Eren deserved the best and I wanted to be that for him. More than I ever wanted that for myself. I took whatever life brought and don't know how in the infinite cosmos of all things, our lives and hearts had intertwined. I knew I'd never be able to love without him and so I was determined to do whatever it took to hold onto him, beginning with bearing my soul to him. When we met up for our usual jog, I was still anxious and tense so decided to complete our run first before trying to spill my guts. I could tell Eren was slightly on edge too, most likely from my own discomfort with anything related to deep feelings. So when we got done and both turned to each other, I was surprised to hear that he wanted to discuss something as well.

"Levi, do you have a moment to talk?"

"Hey brat, I need to tell you some....thing."

Guess we both had some serious things on our mind. Eren looked serious and resolute- something I didn’t get to see too often.

"You go first," I offered, grateful for the slight delay to gather my thoughts again after the brief, unexpected declaration from the brat.

Eren started explaining but it took a full 2 minutes before I actually heard what he was saying, as I was that flustered. I’m no coward by any means but to become so vulnerable to expose my deepest fears about myself was daunting anyways. But as I started to fully comprehend what Eren was explaining, I relaxed almost completely. I wasn’t the only one with reservations and a bit of low self-confidence.

“..so I just feel like I can’t possibly be good enough, you know.”

I couldn’t believe what I had heard. Didn’t this kid know he was perfect in every way possible? “Eren, that is such nonsense and you know it. You can’t compare yourself to some non-existing model of perfection. That’s just fucking ridiculous. You have to know that everyone here adores you and I have to constantly watch out for others to try to swoop in and attempt to snag you. And what’s most important is that I think you are perfect for me.”

“Haha, no one would think I am perfect. But who in this universe would dare to try to take me away from you? They know they would have to face your wrath and it’s not like I would go without a fight, kicking and screaming and running right back to you as soon as I could..”

“True, but you see I am feared. Respected but still feared. I am not the nicest person. Far from it. Sometimes I fear that you’ll see too much of that from me and I’ll just end up driving you away.”

“I know that you can be intimidating but only when necessary and sometimes I need that to ground me. Sadly, I have a fiery temper too sometimes. I know when it’s best to just step away for a bit. Besides I am way too stubborn for you to push me away. I’m like a mule that you can’t push or pull no matter what.”

“Mule, eh? I don’t think so. You are just extremely determined and don’t resemble a mule in the least bit. Even sweaty like this, you are quite a sight.”

“Oh really, so does not mean you’d have me no matter what? Even sweaty and gross which is totally against your nature?”

“Yeah, I guess it does, brat.”

“Then if I can accept that, you have to acknowledge that I have known and accepted your gruffness and shitty, crude humor since I was 15 and it’s just one more thing I love about you? So many things that no matter what you may do, I could never stop feeling that way.”

Stupid brat…always able to mix me up and make a muddled mess of my head and my heart. He’s right…I can’t resist him. I’ve become way too possessive. Too clingy. Did I lose a piece of myself in all of this? I thought I had but I could only hope it was one of the bad parts.

We all but ran back to my quarters…my room, which would soon be our room and after our little talk, all reservations I had were melted away. I couldn’t wait to begin our new life together and have Eren move in with me. Until then I would just have to make every excuse possible to invite (lure) Eren into my quarters.

The door slammed behind us quickly as Eren deftly used one arm to shut it and the other was already ripping off our sweaty exercise clothes. Eren expertly kissed me into oblivion while guiding us both to the shower. One of the most amazing things about being on this cruise ship is that there was always instant hot water for a shower. With so many guests and crew to service, there were big-ass capacity heaters and I was eternally grateful for this fact as Eren turned on the water with us already under the shower head. I don’t how the brat managed it but I don’t think his sensual lips ever lost contact with at least some part of my body as he grabbed my shower gel and lathered me up all over with his warm hands. Tracing circles all up and down my body as the hot water washed over us felt incredible and I could have easily spent all day in the shower with Eren. I wouldn’t even care if I became a permanent prune and it became hard to breathe in the steamy air. It would be totally worth it. Soon, the soap was all washed off of me and I grabbed a loofah and returned the favor. I always loved the smell of my shower gel but somehow when it was mixed with Eren’s scent it was just that much more intoxicating. I was able to fully indulge my sense of smell as I ran the loofah over his chest and stomach and then down to his cock where he was already standing at full attention. I glanced down at myself as well, not shocked to see that all of this luxuriating had gotten me fully aroused as well. I finished with the soap and again let the water wash over us both to rinse it all off before I buried my face in Eren’s crotch. The muskiness and fresh clean aroma drove me crazy and I quickly devoured his entire erection in one swift motion. His smell, his taste and the way he felt in my mouth was just amazing. I just couldn’t get enough as I took him deeper down my throat, my mouth full of him and tiny streams of water as the shower continued to pour down on us. I was so hot, so hard as I sucked Eren off that I had to touch myself to relieve some of the pressure in my own erection. After three more good thrusts and the same amount of pumps of my hand and we were both coming in hard spurts, him down my throat and my own being washed down the drain with the flow of the water. Normally, we’d both want to curl up under the sheets and take a nice nap after an intense climax like that but I felt invigorated. That and I had to get to work for the day.

So afterwards, I tucked Eren gently into bed so he could rest before his shift but I had to rush to get ready for my day. Luckily I could make a run for it pretty quickly as there was a private crew elevator up to the bridge which I had a key for. I rarely used it, much preferring to take the stairs and clear my mind while preparing for the work day ahead. As I sped down the hall, I couldn't help but notice a worker standing outside Eren's door. I had no idea what anyone would be doing there, as Eren was still resting in my quarters and Jean would have been on duty for an hour at this point. I was already cutting it close so I really didn't have time for this shit, but I was more curious than anything. And I was Captain after all- a few minutes of tardiness after a near -perfect record for all of my years with the company wouldn't matter. I just always preferred to lead by example and anyone who couldn't meet my stringent standards didn't belong on my ship. So obviously, this guy was shady and out of place in this area of the crew quarters set aside for officers only. As I got closer, I saw that he was one of the three mystery men I had seen so that was my chance to get his name and position. 

He turned away from Eren's door as I got close and saluted me. Well, at least this jerk knew how to show respect but even up close I knew he hadn't been on my ship before we arrived back in Cannes. 

"What are you doing there, Mr......?" I inquired, as I tried to read his ID badge but it was inconveniently turned the other way. 

"Mr. Perkins, sir."

He replied but made no moves to show me his ID. 

"Perkins, huh? I haven't seen you before. Mind if I check your ID?"

"No sir, here you go." he said as he removed the badge from his belt and handed it to me. Said he was in the maintenance department. It looked legit with the proper corporate stamps and logo. He didn't volunteer any more information so I decided to probe a little further.

"So again, what business do you have down here, Mr. Perkins? You have a work order for something?"

"Yes, sir. We got a call from Mr. Jaeger that the commode was not working properly. I was sent down to check it out, but it seems Mr. Jaeger isn't here. Isn't he normally here at this time?"

"I am not sure of his everyday schedule when he is off duty. I am only concerned with his being where he needs to be during his shift. Do you have a copy of this work order?" I asked as I could see this guy’s eyes shift and I didn't trust what he was saying. If Eren was expecting repairs to be completed, he would have made sure to be back in the room. Something sure seemed off about this guy and I could only wonder where the other two who were with him before were at. So obviously, I was not surprised in the least when he mentioned he didn’t have a work order with him, that he had been in too much of a rush to come fix something for the ever popular Eren Jaeger. I don’t know what it was but even this guy saying Eren’s name irritated me in the worst way. I wanted to find out just how they had gotten employed on my ship and was hoping for any little mistake on their part so I could kick their suspicious asses right off La Liberte. This guy was already making it nice and easy for me to accomplish this.

“Well Mr. Perkins, you shouldn’t be down here without a copy of this so-called work order to fix Mr. Jaeger’s shitter so you need to go back to your supervisor right now and get that paperwork. Understood?”

“Yes sir, I’ll go get it right now. Thank you, sir.”

“Good oh and Mr. Perkins, if I find you out without proper authorization forms again, I will fire you.”

“Understood sir.” He said as he walked away towards the stairs.

So much for my good mood from the amazing shower sex I had just had with my fiancé. Fucking incompetent employees. At least now I had a name to give the Admiral to investigate. Just how the hell did some little half-assed punk get a job on my ship when he couldn’t even follow basic procedure? As I got off the elevator and stepped into the bridge, I immediately called Erwin and was finally able to reach him. I had a bad feeling about those three and I was determined to find out why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always love shower scenes- so sexy. But the plot thickens slightly with the mysterious creeper outside Eren's room...we'll find out more next week so thanks for sticking with me!


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

“What do you mean Andre Perkins doesn’t work for Survey Corps Cruiseline anymore!!??” I yelled at the Admiral a little more harshly than I normally would but this was a serious matter. “Why the fuck do I have some stowaway on my ship then?”

“Levi, calm down. First of all, are you sure the nametag said Perkins? We do have a few other men named Andre working for the fleet.”

“It was definitely Perkins, Erwin. I asked him his name and that is what he told me before I even looked at his ID. And let me tell you, that shit looked legit. So did Mr. Perkins quit or maybe he was fired and now he is back to start some revenge bullshit? And what about those other two goons I saw with him before, who the hell are they and how did they manage to get onboard?”

“OK, so let’s think about this logically, Levi. I am looking at his records. He did indeed work in the Maintenance department but on La Lune. He stopped showing up for work not quite 3 weeks ago. You know how that can be, Levi. Every week, we have at least one employee just up and leave because they cannot adapt to the cruiseline lifestyle. Most actually turn in a formal resignation but some just leave and don’t ever come back for their next shift, which seems to be the case for Mr. Perkins.”

“Tsk. Desertion. How despicable. Did he have a bad record of service? Any reprimands or corrective action or maybe he had just started and didn’t have much to lose by just up and leaving?”

“No, that’s the peculiar thing. His record was clean. He wasn’t an exemplary employee by any means but he worked on La Lune for over 3 years with no disciplinary action. In this industry, you’d usually want to keep the relationship with your employer amicable so you could use Survey Corps as a reference. We don’t just hire anyone so employment with us always looks good on a resume. Everyone knows damn well how important a good recommendation is for future employment, so it makes little sense for Perkins to just up and leave like that. That’s why I really thought you had the wrong name. So when did you first see him on La Liberte again?”

“About two weeks ago, I saw him and two other guys I had never seen on my ship before. I figured they had to be transfers from one of the other boats since they would have gone through orientation if they were brand new. They were helping to load supplies onto the ship at that time. Then I saw them again last week, the three of them huddled together like they were discussing some sort of plans but they were gone before I could get there to break up their little powwow.”

“And you have no idea who the other two are? But they had ID badges as well?”

“Yes, all of the times I saw them, they were in uniform and had badges from what I could see from a distance. It was only by luck that I ran into Perkins in that hallway so I could get a good look at it. It makes no sense for someone to leave the company with no notice only to go right back to work by sneaking onto a different ship a week later. And who knows if that’s what the other two did as well?”

“Did you alert Pixis in Security when you encountered these guys either time before today? It’s his job to research this kind of stuff-maybe check out their rooms.”

“Wait! That’s right. I didn’t even really consider that. So where the hell are these three staying? If they aren’t on the books as employees, they sure as hell don’t have a room assigned to them. I’ll have to get Pixis to pull all of the security tapes to see if we can determine where they are hiding out. They obviously are up to no good, so whether or not they plan to steal or sabotage or whatever else, we need to find them and get them locked up for further interrogation. Do you have a way to run a check to see if any other employees with similar descriptions as the other two just up and left without notice around that same time so maybe we can figure out who the other men are?”

“Yes, I already ran a report on who quit or was fired in the last month all across the corporation and there were 24 male employees who left. Can you give me a brief description of the other two so we can see if we can narrow that down a bit?”

“I never got a good, up close look, so I can only tell you they are about the same height as Andre and had dark hair. So we can eliminate blonds and red heads from your list. Also, when an employee leaves, you keep a record of where they applied to for a new job, right? Maybe we can narrow that down a tad.”

“That’s a good idea; we do keep records for any former employee who uses us as a reference so we do get an updated status of where they end up.”

“And if you find a few with no new employment references there is a good chance two of them are me we are going to be looking for.”

“Right- in the meantime, until we find out their intentions, we need to alert Pixis and all of his security team to do some research and reconnaissance to detain these men where they can’ t do any more harm. The safety of our passengers is our first priority as we have no idea what their intentions are. What was Andre trying to do again when you caught him in the hallway?”

“He was trying to get into Eren and Jean’s quarters to supposedly fix a broken toilet.”

“Hmmm, have you mentioned this to Eren or Jean to see if Andre had approached them before? Maybe they have an idea why he would want to get into their room? Maybe the plumbing is messed up and there was a legitimate work order?”

“No, the guy was playing it cool but I could see the panic in his eyes for a moment when I first encountered him. They are up to something- just no idea what. Oh my God, Erwin. I never checked with Eren. He has no idea these jerks were trying to break into his room. What if he is in danger? Oh shit Erwin, I gotta go.”

I hung up the phone so fast; it never made it back to the receiver. How could I have been so stupid and left Eren alone down there in my room? He’d be headed back to his room soon to get ready for his shift and who knew what those assholes wanted and if they would try again after I left. I could only hope I wasn’t too late to warn him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay...I wasn't able to get online yesterday to post this. I know this chapter is a bit dialogue heavy and short but the next chapter will be longer and a lot will come together. That way you guys aren't kept waiting long to find out what happens and why. Thanks as always for sticking with this story- the end is peaking over the horizon!


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

I flew down the stairs, extremely grateful for being a ballerina’s son for the grace and balance I inherited. Otherwise, I thought the average person would have fallen and broken their neck. There were just so many thoughts running through my head. First of course was for my fiancé’s safety and well-being. Then I began to think about lots of other things. I had failed to see how my inaction could have serious ramifications. First of all, I should have confirmed the strange men’s identity when I first saw them. I usually act on my gut instinct when something just isn’t right but I had ignored my curiosity and allowed stowaways on my ship. Three assholes whose true identities were unknown and whose whereabouts were still a mystery. I never passed on this information to my security manager or my boss before today and as a result of my negligence, I had put my passengers and crew at risk. It was unforgivable that I was so wrapped up in the wedding that it was hard to focus on anything other than that green-eyed brat and only my basic job functions. I should have been above all of that. Even still, I just needed to confirm that Eren was ok and then I would get to work on setting right all of my recent omissions. 

As I approached the door to Eren and Jean’s room, I slowed down my pace and soon stopped completely in front of it. I briefly looked up and down to inspect for any damage to the door and when satisfied I didn’t see any signs of a forced entry, I knocked. No one answered after the third set of knocks so I assumed either Eren had already left for the day or was still curled up safely in my bed- the latter of which was where my heart hoped he was. As Captain of the ship, I have a master key to open every door on the ship and while I have only ever had to use it less than a handful of times, I was never more grateful to have it. I unlocked the door and announced my entry before going inside. I had never really stepped foot entirely into Eren’s room before so it was amazing to me how apparent it was whose side belonged to who, now that I had given the décor my full attention. Neither portion was overly messy but both were not organized either. It was the just the sharp contrast of color and style that made the owners obvious. Jean had a few scattered pictures of his family and his plaque honoring his five years of service with the Survey Corps Cruiseline on his desk. The linens were a dull and colorless beige. A few small dumbbells on the floor along with a pair of sneakers and a discarded dirty T-Shirt sat ignored. On the other side, the blanket was a bright blue and the desk was filled with small chotskies from all over the world. Tiny glass figures, small woven baskets and handmade candles adorned the place and the tiny bookcase was overflowing with books about all different parts of the planet- mostly islands and tropical destinations. The majority of covers were filled with pictures of oceans the same color as his beautiful eyes. Thoughts of which snapped me back to reality. 

The relief I felt knowing that Eren wasn't in his room and there was no sign of an intrusion was fading away as new spikes of panic started to invade my thoughts. Maybe they had intercepted him while he was on the way back to his room from mine. But maybe he was still there so I quickly turned around and ran down the long corridor to my room. I don't think I even bothered to lock his and Jean's room back up. My thoughts were still getting the best of me; despite my years of experience of remaining calm in desperate situations. The irony was that I had finally managed to become emotionally invested in someone; however, I felt powerless against the way it felt when that most precious person became threatened. I had to constantly slap myself figuratively to keep focused and remember that it was not just Eren who was possibly in danger. 

I opened the door to my quarters and begged every deity I was aware of that my fiancé would still be all wrapped up in my covers like a human burrito and I could just pass on the warning to him. Then we could meet with Pixis and his group would take care of the rest. Investigate, infiltrate and apprehend the bad guys and then all would be well with the world once again and Eren and I could get back to planning our happily ever after. But of course, as I stepped inside the bedroom, my heart sank at the sight of the empty and still messy bed. It was disheartening enough to see that he was gone; however, he was always a courteous guest and made the bed before he left. For the bed to remain unmade was not a good sign. It was possible he got a call from his tailor to make a quick visit for further measurements or maybe he got an emergency call from his supervisor. But if I truly listened to my instincts, I felt deep down that was not the case. What if that thug had knocked on my door and Eren had unsuspectingly opened it to a criminal up to no good? What if they really had been searching for me, after all? It made much more sense when I actually though cohesively about the entire situation. I was the one whose squad had been called in whenever things were at the most desperate and the most dangerous to take out threats to peace and safety. I had definitely anihilated threats by deadly force when I could have just as easily detained them. My MO was to blow away the scum of the earth rather than let their vileness continue to occupy this world. I had made many enemies from cults, gangs and terrorist groups from everywhere our group was deployed. If some of those scumbags had gotten onboard, it was common knowledge that our little cluster of rooms was reserved for officers. Maybe that jerk had been searching each room until he found mine, looking to exact some revenge for criminals I had killed or terrorist groups my squad had crippled. I just couldn’t be sure but none of the possibilities were good. I had let Erwin know what was going on and hopefully he was already in the process of checking out who these guys might be. Now, I just needed to let Pixis know so he could get his group to hunt down and lock these guys up in the brig. There had to be some security tape footage of them to provide some leads so the sooner they started their search, the sooner they wouldn’t be a threat to anyone. I didn’t even know what their true intentions were and I was seriously considering evacuating the passengers at the next port so I could be sure there would be no casualties on my ship. Some passengers would bitch but an inconvenience was sure as hell better than injuries or even a death. If only I could determine what those three intruders were planning and if only I could be certain that Eren was ok. 

I was feeling flushed from all of the unwanted excitement so I walked into the bathroom to splash some cold water on my face quickly before heading out to Pixis’ office. It was there that I finally received a few answers to my many questions and my worst fears were confirmed. On my closet door, a knife had been jammed into the wood, piercing through a piece of paper. My heart leapt up into my throat and when I noticed my reflection in the bathroom mirror, I saw that I had gone stark white. My hands trembled as I grabbed for the piece of paper that I both wanted to read and also wanted to just ignore. Of course, I already expected the worst, but that positive thinking part of Eren’s must have rubbed off on me just a little as I had allowed myself to hope that this whole thing would play out without any issues, whatever, this thing was. I started to read the dreaded note and my heart which had been lodged in my throat now plummeted back down to my stomach. I had to read it over again a few times before my brain finally caught up with my emotions which were spiraling out of control. The bastards had taken Eren.

That was enough for me to snap me back to reality and read through the paper one more time so I could come up with the best course of action. These fucking asswipes would not get away with this bullshit. I had fucked up but I would make it right. I would follow what the note instructed for now to make sure I could get Eren to safety but after that, it was on. They would pay dearly for such an act against innocent people. It was so vile, I had to suppress any urge to vomit on the nasty note as I finished it again:

“Dear Captain Levi,  
Well, well, who would have ever thought that the “Strongest Soldier” in the French Navy would become some weak pansy on some snobby floating hotel? You’ve gone soft- of course maybe that’s also from your new taste in men. Speaking of which, your current flame is with us. A nice bundle of tall, dark collateral. If you want Eren to live, you need to come down to the ship’s main engine room. You must be alone and you cannot let anyone else know what is going on. We are monitoring the ship’s radio and satellite so if you try to send a message to anyone, we will know. The next one to know will be Eren as we cut him up into little shreds right before we jump ship and then detonate the explosives we have placed throughout the ship in the last few days. Hundreds of deaths will be on your head. Sadly, you’ll be dead too so we won’t get the chance to kill you up close and personally but dead is still dead. We will finally have our revenge for all of the harm you caused to our organization after all of these years. You have until 12 noon to comply.  
-signed  
Kenny  
Titan Rogue"

I had roughly two hours to come up with a strategy and put it in motion. Titan Rogue was certainly not a foe to take lightly. I had killed a few key members and my squad had arrested the majority of the rest over the years we were in the Navy; however, they remained a formidable enemy as Titan Rogue had different sects located all over. Well-funded and well-armed, we had slowed them down considerably but their leader Kenny had been elusive and sheltered. In the years after I left the Navy, he must have been busy getting his mercenary group back in business and now that bastard had Eren. Somehow, I would get my fiancé back and I would rid the world of Titan Rogue once and for all as I made my plan of attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the late chapter. Internet isues and lots of extra work hours just stink. But I already have half of the next chapter done so it will be on time. I'm not as good with conflicts and action as I am with fluff and sap but I will try my best with all of the stuff in the next chapter. Thanks for sticking with me along all of the speed bumps.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

 

It was time to get back into BAMF mode. It had been many years since I had to utilize that side of me, but it was still deep down in my genes. I just had to concentrate on my goal, tap into those buried talents and then take out the assholes who had dared to take and threaten what was mine. 

 

First, I had to make sure all of my crew and passengers were kept safe during this whole operation. If these guys had truly loaded the ship up with explosives, and these guys don't bluff from what I could remember, there was an acute danger of something going off at any time. We were in port in Milan, so thank goodness we wouldn't have to mobilize any of the lifeboats, but we did have to evacuate everyone off the ship who wasn't already off on an excursion or doing some shopping. The hardest part would be getting word to the crew members who worked nights and would still be asleep. The engine room where the three mercs were holding Eren was deep in the bowels of the boat, so we could manage to keep things quiet enough where they wouldn't hear the evacuation. I just needed to figure a way to alert Pixis, Admiral Erwin and my top officers to get the ball rolling since time was precious. I couldn't use the radio or satellite to communicate; however, I did have one trick up my sleeve. I went over to my closet and pulled out the old rickety device and plugged it in; hoping it would still power on since I hadn't used it in forever. After a few minutes of holding my breath, I clicked the telegraph key a few times and the light lit up each time. I exhaled, eternally grateful I had talked Erwin into keeping these things on each ship. He had the main device at his office so he could receive messages in the highly unlikely case that all other systems failed in an emergency situation. Pixis, being an elder salty dog himself also insisted on keeping one connected at all times as well in his office, never fully trusting the new satellite and GPS navigation systems used today. I was always confident that if that man ever got stranded at sea, he would have no problem going into full pirate mode, requisitioning a vessel and spending the rest of his days being guided by the stars and rum.

As for me, I was just grateful to know how to use Morse code and that the 2 most important people that needed to get my message would be able to receive it without being intercepted by the mercenaries. Erwin should already be on high alert from our earlier conversation and would be expecting a further debriefing from me after I left him hanging so abruptly. So I quickly thought about a terse message to get the point across so those two could take immediate action and I could go kick some ass.

I started with the most basic of all codes- three dots for SOS, as I was out of practice and one wrong word would just confuse the situation. The SOS would be an instant alert and would at least let them know there was an issue at the very least, assuming the Admiral and Security Chief might be a little rusty as well. After a few sets of the 3 dots, I slowly started tapping out the full message so they could write it down as it came in.

 

Threat identified...stop

Titan Rogue onboard....stop

Possible explosives set...stop

Need immediate crew and passenger evac....stop

Kenny has Eren....stop

Kenny wants me in exchange for Eren....stop

Exchange in Engine room....stop

Evac possible without them aware....stop

Have two hours to get Eren out...stop

If no follow up in two hours, engage and take them out....stop

 

It took me about 30 minutes to tap it all out. I could only hope the message was clear; I knew they would follow my instructions. Both were more than aware that Titan Rogue was not a force to underestimate. They had no aversions to bloodshed and I knew deep down, they had no intention of letting Eren go willingly. They never left any loose ends intentionally when it came to their arms and drug trafficking. But at that point I didn't care. I was determined to use a bit of brawn and cunning to make sure Eren got out alive and well. I really would prefer to stay that way myself but I was fully prepared to sacrifice my life to ensure he survived. He was still young and beloved by everyone so his many years before him were much more important than the needs and desires of a grumpy, middle-aged shorty.

The next thing I did was get changed out of my uniform whites and into a set of fatigues I had saved from my navy days. This was a job for a killer and I didn't want any bit of those assholes’ blood tainting my pristine uniform. I made sure my sharpest knife was tucked securely and discreetly in my boot and then added the last touch - black leather gloves. Just being back in my former ass-stomping outfit helped me get into the proper frame of mind. Focus on my goal. March right in, take no prisoners and rescue Eren. I didn't have the luxury of any previous reconnaissance but I had dealt with this group before. It was never a simple mission and always full of bloodshed, but I was ready for it, maybe even slightly excited for it. It was many years later but if I could still rid the world of this vermin, I'd be content. If both Eren and I could walk away from this alive, it would be even better, but I knew not to expect a miracle. I was about to leave my room, fully aware it might be for the last time, when I got a quick Morse code response. It was Pixis. Erwin was already sending in reinforcements to the dock to assist with the evacuation and the unavoidable fallout that would be created by the passengers whose getaways were interrupted. Pixis had his security team standing by to rush in when needed. The rest of the crew would soon be manually escorting all passengers off the ship a few at a time at the forward gangplank which gratefully was far enough from the engine room to create much commotion; the intruders should remain unaware for a while. No one would be able to use the radio as it was shut down just in case someone tried to send a message and give the plans away. Good, everything was proceeding accordingly and it was time for me to do my part.

 

I closed my door behind me and marched confidently through the hall and down one level to the engine room. The hallway was deserted and that was a good sign. It shouldn’t take long to get everyone off the boat and away from danger. I arrived at the engine room door about an hour and fifteen minutes after I had read that damned letter. I had approximately forty-five minutes left before Erwin and Pixis would be sending in a small crew to take out whoever was left of the Titan Rogue members left on board if I failed. I really hoped there would be none of them left recognizable when I was done. I let the rage and hate flow through me, drawing the courage and strength to do what needed to be done. ‘Get Eren back’ was my mantra. As I opened the door and walked through, I was ready to take on the world if I had to in order to rescue my fiancé. 

As expected, I was ambushed by 2 of the goons as soon as I entered the room. One of them looked as if he had been pretty badly roughed up with a black eye and scratches on his arms. Most likely from Eren who wouldn’t have just gone without a fight but assuming they all were there, three against one was unfair no matter how fit he was. I had to suppress my initial instinct to grab my knife and slice them both open to bleed out like the pigs they were but I couldn’t risk retaliation to Eren. I couldn’t see him from the room’s entrance so I let myself get manhandled by them so they could lead me to Kenny and hopefully, Eren. 

Soon, I was near one of the main engines when I heard a familiar voice I had hoped I would never have to listen to again in my lifetime.

“Well, hello Rivaille. How nice of you to comply. And how inappropriate of a ship’s captain to dress so casually. Or maybe you wanted me to feel at ease as if this was just like old time’s sake?”

I looked over at the direction where the voice was coming from and there he was, looking exactly as he had years ago in Mali. Just like the coward he was who had fled the chaos and carnage his group had wrought. Behind him I was finally able to get a glimpse of Eren. Kenny had him chained to one of the metal girders near the main engine. His shirt was torn and there was dried blood on the side of his face, most likely from a pistol whipping if he didn’t cooperate right away when they grabbed him. I had to play my cards right and get Eren loose so he could get out of that room and off to safety. It was devastating to see him like that, chained up like some sort of prisoner and he had never hurt anyone in his life. I would start with some negotiation and persuasion and then go from there.

“Kenny. Wish I could say I was happy to see you, but you know I hate lying.”

“I could say the same for you, Captain? So did our last encounter scar you so badly, you had to retire from the Navy to come work here on the Love Boat? Have you gone all soft? Think this job will make you all respectable? And on top of all that, you’re engaged to this brat over here? What a disappointment. You still look all rough and tough but you’re just a pansy inside.”

“Well, so sorry to disappoint you Kenny. But I’m here. You have what you want, now let Eren go.” 

I prayed Kenny would let Eren go and then as soon as he could make a run for it, I could attack the two goons holding me with my knife and then go after Kenny before he could even realize what was happening. Unfortunately in life, nothing ever goes as planned and just as I was subtly getting my body into the best position possible to reach down real quick and pounce, Kenny’s words made my blood run cold and I froze in disbelief and shock.

“Ha ha, my gullible Captain. While I am thrilled beyond belief to finally have you within my grasp to pay you back for all of the grief you caused me in the past, you are just a tasty bonus. It was actually the son of Grisha Jaeger I was after all along.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger...but all or mostly all will be explained in the next chapter. Also, I don't think Morse code worked like a telegram with the 'stop' after each phrase, but I thought it would be appropriate here, so I apologize for the poetic license. Thanks so much for reading.


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I want to apologize for this being so late. I didn't like the first draft of this chapter and redid the whole thing. I still am not really happe with this version but hoping it's ok, I don't think I can change it anymore. I really wanted to challenge myself to write some action and violence and it never comes out like I want it. Oh well, we will be able to return to the fluff and fun soon. In the meantime, hope my readers can enjoy this. 
> 
> Warning  
> **Please note slight violence and blood in this chapter just in case you're extremely squeamish**

Chapter 40

"What the fuck are you talking about Kenny? Your psycho babble nonsense is not going to work on me. There’s no reason in the world you would want Eren. You are just trying to use him against me and that was the worst mistake you've ever made in your life."

 

"Au contraire my dear Captain. I have been searching for young Mr. Jaeger here for many years. The fact that I get to torture you in addition to him is just the fluffy, sweet frosting on the cake."

 

I looked at Eren, bound and slightly bruised already, looking even more confused. Seemed he was just as shocked as I was that this piece of shitty, human garbage would have been searching for him. I made sure I kept my own face stoic; I wasn't going to give this jerk a millimeter. I knew how twisted and cruel he was and needed to be sure I didn't say or do anything that could endanger Eren any more than he already was. So I just set my steely eyes directly on Kenny's and remained silent, waiting to see what his next move was. He soon continued with his speech, obviously wanting to further unsettle me, knowing I was the only threat in the room with my fiancé chained to a pole. He loved to play with his prey and I knew if there was a way out of this, I needed to get as much information out of him as I could. 

 

"Before I get started, let me just thank you two for making it so easy for me to finally get my fondest wish. I'm sure maybe Eren has told you where he went after the Mali incident but my little organization couldn't find any trace of him. It was like he dropped off the face of the earth. You were a little easier to track since you were in the French Navy for a little while longer after that, and the heroic deeds of your squad were always well publicized. But then, you left the military and went under the radar too. I was quite ticked off and made it my lifetime goal to hunt you both down. So imagine my surprise when Christmas came early for me when one of my lead men brought me a magazine article that featured the two of you. Together on the same cruise ship of all places. Winning some fucking award. Living the high life on the high seas while my lovely group of heathens had never fully recovered from the damage you two had wrought."

 

I rolled my eyes and tried to play indifferent and slightly annoyed. "And what possible damage could a young Eren Jaeger do to Titan Rogue?" I still believed Kenny was just blowing smoke out of his ass to attempt to break me, but I needed to know what delusions he had about my fiancé. Did he actually have some valid reason to hold a grudge or I had to consider maybe he had indeed lost his sanity.

 

He made some noise in response that I could only imagine was a laugh but it was the most foul sound I had ever heard. "Mr. Jaeger is the only living heir of Grisha Jaeger. And thanks to that horrible doctor and his wretched experiments, I lost millions of dollars. But then I found out there is a chance that his late father may have discovered something amazing that would be able to make me rich again beyond all measure. So I am here to find out where this discovery was hidden and I will torture his son piece by piece until he gives in. And if that doesn't work, I can then start torturing you to see if that will loosen up his lips any. I find it extremely convenient that the two of you managed to hook up. Makes my job so much easier. Guess you like them young and tender, Levi? I never thought a cold-hearted dwarf like yourself would ever want to tie yourself down to one person but maybe you were afraid of becoming an old maid. Anyway, whatever- I have no interest in your pathetic excuse for a love life. I was going to take intense pleasure in exacting my revenge against you anyway but now your suffering will be doubly worthwhile."

 

Internally, I was seething at this point, Kenny's words having lit a fire under me and my need to rip out his throat had become the most prominent thought in my head. Luckily, I was still able to keep those types of primal urges in check, knowing that my main objective had not changed. I wondered what kind of stuff the late Doctor Jaeger had been into; however, I couldn’t even venture to guess what type of medical research would be of interest to a group of mercenaries. The doctor and his family had been like saints, going to the most impoverished areas of the world to help keep children healthy. They were brutally slaughtered for no apparent reason and instead of turning cold and bitter, their only son went on to join the Peace Corps and continue assisting those who had so little, putting their needs and comfort before his own. I knew Kenny was sadistic in his game playing but this had to reach a new all-time record for him. Eren's look of bewilderment remained constant so I truly believed this was just some made up facade for some other purpose. I just couldn’t determine what it was.

Eren remained quiet and I could see Kenny get a bit more impatient. I'm sure he figured Eren would be a pushover and would start spewing out every secret he ever held. I knew the brat was stubborn and determined and it seemed he really had no idea what Kenny was referring to. However, I also knew Kenny would relish in the chance for some torture.

 

“So you gonna spill some beans, or am I gonna have to spill your lover's intestines all over the ground instead?" Kenny asked Eren.

 

Eren looked shocked and mortified, but then again, he didn’t know this bastard like I did. "I told you already I don't know what you are talking about. My dad was a pediatrician who went around the world to help poor kids who had no healthcare at all. What could you have possibly wanted from him? Your group murdered my parents and a bunch of other innocent people as well just for fun- some were little kids for heaven’s sake. You're the one who deserves to have his guts ripped out of him and left alive for vultures to finish you off."

 

"Oh ho- big talk from the little punk chained to this pole. My brother should have finished you off in Mali, but then mister hero over there had to come along with his squad and fuck up my plans. Levi killed my brother and a bunch of my best men- a loss I could never fully recover from, but I won't make that mistake again. They say if you want something done right you have to do it yourself; so here I am with just a few extra men for backup. I'm here in all my glory to find that which I should have had over 10 years ago. My spies told me then that Grisha Jaeger had the product of his research with him on that trip to Mali. All of you were supposed to be killed by my brother’s group while my spies were ransacking your living quarters. They never found jack shit so I could only assume you returned to your home with it. But you didn't. You never went back to your parents’ house for some reason. We of course couldn't find anything there either so we burned it to the ground. We never did discover out where you went and that's awfully suspicious don't you think?"

 

"Are you saying Titan Rogue torched my family home? You assholes took my parents from me and then destroyed every memory I ever had of them? Pictures, heirlooms, and souvenirs… everything was gone!"

 

I could see Eren's confusion quickly disappear, replaced with extreme sparks of anger. I understood his sentiments completely- he had his entire life uprooted, ripped to shreds and then further stomped on, and all at the tender age of 15. He had every right to experience hatred for those responsible for such an atrocity but I also didn't want him to lose all sense of reason to the hatred I could feel emanating from him. If there was to be any chance of escape from this, Eren needed to keep a level head. If all else failed and I could not get free to help him, at least I knew Pixis would arrive in about an hour. I just had to keep Kenny occupied for now and see what opportunities would present themselves. Luckily for me, I had studied the head members of Titan Rogue years ago and never forgot the full psychological profile that was Kenny. He was an ego-maniac, megalomaniac and sadist. If we could just keep him rambling on as he loved to hear the sound of his own voice while playing god, we might survive until Pixis and his team arrived. Their arrival alone would provide a sufficient distraction where I could remove the knife in my boot and take down at least one of the goons flanking me, leaving me free to make a break for Eren and releasing him from the pole. I had my master set of keys with me, which conveniently included a lock pick and even though those skills were a tad rusty, I knew I'd be able to get the handcuffs off. I just had to keep Kenny at bay or a few moments while removing the cuffs. I was pretty certain he had a small arsenal on his person as he never went anywhere unarmed. Until I could free him, Eren was just a sitting duck and I could only hope Pixis's entrance would cause enough of a diversion to keep him occupied for a few precious moments. As a final resort, I could act as a human shield but that would only last for so long. At least for the time being, Kenny seemed to be staying true to his personality. 

"Awww, poor little orphan boy. Lost some worthless junk you made for mommy and daddy when you were back in kindergarten? Who cares! I lost tons of money and had to go way underground, groveling around in poverty for years until I could scrape together enough to get back in business with the few loyal men I still had left in my organization. Your piece of shit father ensured that I wouldn't be able to make a profit for years and your cold-blooded killer of a boyfriend mowed down at least half of my group. Of those he didn't snipe, the majority deserted Titan Rogue in fear for the lives. My reputation, my livelihood and a huge portion of my adult life was destroyed by you two and I intend to take it all back, piece by painful piece. But first things first, before I torture you into silence, I need to know where your father hid the results of his research. It would be a miracle if they are here on the ship with you but that's not an issue; I am willing to travel around the world to get what I need."

 

I could see Eren slip deeper and deeper into his anger, the cold, cruel jabs at his loss, fueling a fire that was threatening to burst out of control any moment. He was pulling the chain as taut as possible, not even seeming to mind the metal cuffs that were now cutting into the skin of his wrists. If I had met this Eren on the street, I would be sure to steer clear as it looked as if he could easily tear into someone with his bare hands. He seemed to have bulked up some as well, but I guessed that was my imagination playing tricks on me. Maybe it was just the aggressive stance he was taking, as I had never experienced that side of my fiancé.

 

"I don't have anything! And how dare you insult my father. He was a great man! He did nothing but help people who had no hope of helping themselves. The piece of shit is you. Taking advantage of the poor, using deadly force and intimidation for your own gain. Building affluence and power like some egotistical king. And Levi is a cold - hearted killer? Just look in the mirror. You have more blood on your hands than anyone I know and I was only there to witness one of your group's missions. I shudder to think of the desolation your organization wrought.”

“I can’t help it if impoverished people are so easily manipulated. There will always be the weak and the strong. Before your dad came along our job was easy. See anyone could set up an illegal drug and human trafficking ring. Titan Rogue went the extra mile and used people’s basic necessities against them. Before your father came along, we made piles of money from the impoverished people in Africa and India. They had no need for cocaine or heroin, but when their children needed antibiotics and aspirin when they got sick, they would pay any price to get the supplies they needed. Conveniently, we killed off their normal suppliers and then charged them exorbitant rates for basic medications. They got what they needed and we got rich- it was a win-win situation until your stupid family had to go and fuck it all up. Vaccinated children didn’t get sick nearly as often so less chance of them needed medication. Those that were sick, he treated them at no charge. So your father’s interfering with the natural progression of my business was problematic and I hired investigators to check him out thoroughly. When when my spies told me he had made some amazing breakthrough, and if it ever saw the light of day, he would be instantly rich and we would be out in the cold with no more clients to extort.”

“You must be some sort of fucking moron. My father wasn’t working on any research project when he was killed. We would have known if he had made some earth-shattering discovery- he was too busy trying to help people all of the time. And when he died, he didn’t leave me anything except our house, which you just confessed to burning down. I have only what is in my small quarters on this ship, nothing more.”

"If you think lying is going get you or Levi out of here alive, you are sadly mistaken Mr. Jaeger. Maybe you'll be more apt to speak if we begin carving up your captain? Daniel, why don't you pick a nice, sensitive spot to sink your blade into."

I felt the goon on my left reach into his jacket where I could only guess he held a holster and pull out a small machete. I braced myself for the pain that would be forthcoming knowing that I had to remain strong and alert despite any injuries. In the past, I sustained much damage and knew what it took to keep my wits about me and use the pain to maintain consciousness and focus. Luckily for me, this Daniel jerk didn't have the same bloodthirsty nature as his boss and the cut he made on my left arm was long but shallow. It was only slightly painful and I refused to let out even a small grimace. I would give these shitstains no satisfaction. Unfortunately, Eren had no way of knowing how bad it was, he only saw the blood dripping down my hand and onto the floor.

 

"Leave him alone! If what you are looking for is something I supposedly have, then torture me instead. Levi never did anything to you that wasn't part of his job. You should be aware that when you are a lowlife criminal, the authorities will eventually come after your group." Eren was clearly getting close to the boiling point of his anger and I wished I could have talked him down but again, Kenny would only use any concern we had for each other as ammunition against us. I just feared most of all that they would take him up on his offer to be their object of abuse. 

"Oh, does it bother you to see us hurt Levi? Good. Make a few more cuts on him, Daniel." Kenny ordered. I repeated the same process, keeping alert and turning the pain inwards. I could only hope the two holding me would slack off some now that I had been hurt some. I looked Eren in the eyes and tried to communicate to him that I was fine but I didn't even recognize his gaze. A lone tear slid down his cheek and the lighting in the engine room must have been tampered with as Eren's eyes now shone with the color of molten gold. It was a color of suffering and fury. He screamed out in frustration that reverberated throughout the room.

"If you touch him one more time, I will rip you all apart, so help me. I will exterminate every single last member of Titan Rogue!"

"Well then Eren, if you want us to stop then you need to tell me where your father's experimental vaccine is. Or at least all of his notes of how to make it. I will get my hands on it one way or another. People will pay millions for the hope of never getting sick again or mending injuries in a matter of hours what would take days. So where did you stash it? Safe deposit box in Switzerland? Deep in a cave in Russia? Maybe buried in the ice of Antarctica? Perhaps you need some pain of your own to loosen up that tongue of yours?" He cackled as he took a knife out of his own jacket and made two quick slices across Eren's left cheek. Eren yelped in pain and surprise as the cuts bloomed crimson against his caramel skin.

"NO!" I yelled involuntarily, underestimating my feelings for Eren. I could remain stoic through any abuse to myself but watching any harm come to Eren was another story. Kenny walked over to me, taking the opportunity of my moment of weakness.

"You want to protect your little plaything, then you better urge him to tell us where he or his father hid the vaccine before I start removing limbs. Or maybe you know where it is, hmmm? Though probably not, I can't imagine that subject would ever come up in your average pillow talk, right, Levi? Not that you'll ever have the opportunity again."

 

The bastard really knew how to hit below the belt, verbally and otherwise. I could hear Eren start to thrash around at the chain that held him, knowing that Kenny's taunts were getting to him more than before as they got more personal and intimate. My heart felt like lead in my chest. I wanted to protect what was most precious to me but the situation was not allowing me much opportunity. I couldn't bear to see any more physical or emotional damage inflicted on him. I had cuts all over myself; however, the blood loss was gratefully minimal. I still had plenty of fight left in me to take down anyone who stood in my way. I just had to make my move soon before any serious damage was done to either of us. Kenny's loss of patience was evident on his face now, so he was worse than a ticking time bomb. There was still almost 30 minutes left before Pixis was due to arrive and I knew it was time to strike. We couldn't afford to wait much longer and I besought any deity that would listen for some sort of distraction so I could take action. I didn't think Eren would last much longer as he just kept repeating over and over that he would exterminate every member of Titan Rogue. He was not conditioned to tolerate this level of torture and I was proud of him for maintaining his composure for as long as he had.

Luckily for us, we got that blessed distraction we so desperately needed. Maybe Eren's guardian angel finally woke up from a nap or all of that good cosmic Karma Eren spread by being a saint came back around to help us out. I didn't give a shit where it came from but the sudden explosion and jarring of the ship was most welcome. One of the explosives Kenny’s group had set around the ship must have gone off unexpectedly. The passengers and crew should all have been long since evacuated and I could only hope no one was hurt and the damage to my ship was minimal. The movement unbalanced the two mercenaries on either side of me sufficiently for them to let go of me for a moment- just enough for me to reach into my boot and grab my blade. They had failed to search me when I first came into the room and their mistake would now cost them their worthless lives. I swung the knife upwards and spun around in a tight 360 degree turn and slashed out both of their throats in a shower of warm blood. I then took off running to get through Kenny and ultimately to Eren. Kenny was a well-trained foe in hand to hand combat and we parried back and forth relentlessly. He had the benefit of height and reach but I had better strength, grace and speed. I managed to inflict a few deep cuts on Kenny’s torso and he managed to cut my shoulder enough to make that arm go numb for a few moments but nothing too damaging. The only thought in my mind and purpose in my heart was to push forward so I could get to Eren. I was about to land the final blow by sinking my knife into Kenny’s jugular when another explosion rocked the boat, this time knocking me off balance slightly causing me to miss my mark. Kenny ever the opportunist, used my moment of awkwardness against me and jabbed me fully in my left side, deep enough to puncture my lung. I could feel air and blood rush out of the hole that asswipe had made. I quickly regained my composure and scooted back defensively, avoiding any further damage. However, the wound on my side was deep and quickly took its toll. I got dizzy from the loss of blood and oxygen and eventually collapsed onto the ground. As soon as I made contact with the floor, I could hear Eren let out a bloodcurdling scream that made me shiver. It was enough to make Kenny stop and look back at the source of the noise. I made one final attempt to protect my boyfriend by stabbing Kenny in the leg, hoping it might slow him down. As he yelped in pain, I could have sworn I heard the sound of a chain breaking and then the rumble of heavy footsteps headed towards me and Kenny. From the angle I was positioned at on the floor, I couldn’t see shit. My first thought was that Pixis and his men had arrived early but they would be coming from the wrong direction. I knew something had happened as I saw Kenny draw a gun from under his coat and raise it to shoot at whatever was headed our way. I fought to stay conscious to see what was going on but soon lost the battle as my body couldn’t take anymore. The last thing I heard before passing out was the sound of Kenny emptying his handgun into something or someone, then another one of those screams. The last thing I saw was a flash of gold eyes, bright as if on fire, before everything went black.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning for very quick mentions of blood and violence in this chapter. Not too graphic but more than just casual so wanted to let readers be aware ahead of time. I promise we will be back to some fluff soon- hopefully next chapter. Thanks to all my readers for being patient as updates haven't been normal with all the holiday craziness. I will try to get it back to a regular schedule soon.**

Chapter 41

I felt like I was floating on a thunder cloud. It was soft where I was laying but an intense pain wracked my entire body. Erratic shocks attack my senses as I fight my way up through what feels like quicksand towards consciousness. It hurt to open my eyes as the bright light assaulted me so I was forced to squint as I scanned the room I woke up in. Everything was white and sterile giving away the location as a hospital room. I immediately closed my eyes again at the realization of my whereabouts and turned inward to search for the reasons why I was currently connected to a hospital bed connected to numerous machines and feeling weaker than a newborn fawn. My back was stiff most likely from being confined to a bed for who knows how long and when I attempted to shift slightly to find a more comfortable position I yelled in agony as it seemed as if a hot poker had jabbed me in the left side. I attempted to push the bed covers out of the way to pull up the hospital gown I was wearing but I didn't even have the strength to do that. My movement however was enough to alert someone to my return to consciousness and soon my ears were filled with the high pitched squealing that could only belong to Dr. Zoe. 

 

"Thank goodness you are finally awake! How do you feel, Captain?"

 

"Ugg, I just woke up why do I have to deal with you, shitty glasses?" I braced myself for more absurd cackling and tried to focus on what the he had happened, as everything was still foggy in my sore head. I didn't want to have to face anyone right then, let alone a hyperactive doctor. Instead, I wanted to sift through the murkiness in my mind to attempt to determine what had happened to land me in the hospital. 

 

I could feel dread creeping up from my stomach up to my throat as haunting images flooded in. I was helpless to stop the deluge as an overwhelming fear ripped through me and I came to realize that my heart had been shattered into tiny fragments. A sob lodged itself in my throat making breathing and speech damn near impossible. A memory of fiery golden eyes, the sound of gunshots and a primal scream and the copper aroma of blood splatter attacked my senses and left me drained as I was only able to mutter one word. "Eren."

 

"Do you remember what happened, Levi?"

 

I wasn't about to rely on my memories alone, being that I knew I was currently heavily medicated as indicated by the amount of tubes attached to me. From the glimpses of what I did see in my head, I was in no hurry to confirm if the macabre scenes I saw were fabricated or actual memories. However, my concern for Eren overpowered any reluctance to know the full truth. I needed to know what had happened to my fiancé; it was crucial for me to know if I had failed completely in my mission to protect him. "I can recall a lot of what happened, Hanji and you can help me confirm but right now I only care about Eren. Is he ok? Please tell me he is alright?"

 

"It's going to be ok, Levi. Don't exert yourself- you just woke up and you've been in critical condition for three days."

 

"If you don't want me to overdo it, you better fucking tell me right now if Eren is ok."

 

"Ok, Mr. Grumpy Pants- geez, even with all of those good painkillers you are getting, you still get so pissy. Eren is ok at the moment. We honestly didn't think he'd make it and he's still unconscious but it's like some sort of miracle. The doctors just can't understand it."

"A miracle? Just what exactly happened after I passed out?"

 

‘We aren't exactly sure. We tried to piece some of it together. Dot Picks said he got a message from you to evacuate the ship and to go to the main engine room if you didn't contact him after two hours. He said it wasn't quite time but he heard some explosions on the boat and went after you early for fear more would go off. Seems the guy who set them was an idiot and two of the charges blew up due to faulty wiring. Anyways he ran down with his security team to the engine room and said it was an actual scene from a slasher film or something."

 

“Oh my god Hanji! What did they do to Eren? I won't rest until Kenny is put away forever." I yelped in pain as I stretched up too much and aggravated my wounds.

 

"Relax Levi. There is nothing much left of Kenny to put away so you won’t ever have to worry about him again. When Pixis walked into room he was shocked to say the least. He knew something was off and called me immediately. We had you and Eren airlifted to my brother’s private facility here in Germany. Erwin is still busy doing damage control back in France."

"Wait...you mean to tell me we aren't in a hospital in France?" I looked around and sure enough the room was modern and extra clean. There was no shuffling outside the door from nurses or other patients. "What the fuck is going on Hanji?"

 

"When Pixis found you, the wound on your side was pretty bad and you'd lost a ton of blood so he applied some pressure and bandaged you up tightly with one of the shirts he off of a guy with his throat slashed. Then he wasted no time looking for Eren. That's when shit got weird and he called me."

 

"But Eren is OK, right? What could have been strange? I remember that asshole Kenny stabbing me and then hearing an awful scream. Kenny then shoot at someone but thank goodness it wasn't Eren or he wouldn't be alive right? He was chained up and Kenny wouldn't miss a stationery target."

 

"Oh no, he didn't miss." Hanji left her statement at that. 

 

"So what aren't you telling me....why are we here instead of a normal hospital?" I was really feeling uneasy and not a little bit ticked off. Something was wrong and the feeling of dread was getting stronger by the moment.

 

"I'm going to tell you but first can you tell me if you noticed anything odd about Eren before you passed out?"

 

"Odd? He was fucking chained up and being interrogated by a sadistic mercenary who wanted us both dead. So no, I don't think his behavior was that out of the ordinary."

 

"Maybe not his behavior but physically?"

 

I seriously wasn't sure what the crazy woman in front of me was trying to imply but the whole conversation was making all of my injuries throb in agony. I searched my memories to see if anything stood out but only one thought continued to nag at the forefront of my mind. I kept seeing a pair of golden eyes flashing with rage and searing pain before everything went dark. I couldn't trust that what I saw was real or stress induced. I figured as a doctor Hanji would understand and expect that some people when hurt can hallucinate so I would mention it casually. "Kenny was pushing our buttons and slowly torturing us. Poor Eren was left helpless and he lost his cool. I can't be sure if I imagined it or not, but for some reason it would seem Eren's eyes turned gold with anger. He was pulling at his chains and wanted to kill all members of Titan Rogue. He seemed to actually get slightly bigger as his anger grew. I had already been cut and lost some blood from those but when he punctured my lung I couldn't hold on any more. So I assumed that what I saw was only a result of my blood loss since people just don't change eye color and bulk up because they are pissed off."

 

"Not normally, no, but I think what happened was quite out of the ordinary. When Pixis went to check on Eren he feared the worst judging from the puddle of blood around him but when he saw he was breathing he went to remove the clothing he was wearing to prevent further blood loss.. He found they were ripped in a few places but wasn't thinking about that then - he just wanted to find the wounds so he could try to bandage them. Seems Kenny unloaded his gun into Eren. The gun was laying there discarded on the ground next to Eren, covered in blood. When Pixis got the remains of Eren's shirt off, he was shocked at what he was seeing. Some of the bullets passed right through him but some were still lodged into his chest and the skin was starting to close around the wounds. By all accounts Eren should not have survived those kinds of injuries. Pixis called me rather than normal emergency services since he knew something was off and wouldn’t want word to get out to the public. While waiting for me he checked to see where Kenny was and Levi let me tell you I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. One arm had been completely ripped off and his neck and head were brutally crushed in. I thought at first that maybe you had gotten to Kenny, knowing you had past bad blood with him , but Eren was closest to him and had clumps of Kenny's hair in his hand. Somehow Eren had ripped his way out of handcuffs, charged at Kenny who was shooting at him point blank and tore him up before falling down from his injuries. Both of you were in pretty critical condition so we airlifted you here where we could keep this whole thing hush hush. Erwin issued an official statement that Titan Rogue had infiltrated La Liberte and planted explosives as a terrorist act. You and Pixis found out about the plot and got everyone evacuated but some went off prematurely killing Kenny and his men and also injuring you. We didn’t give any statements about Eren, letting everyone assume he just got off the boat with the rest of the crew. The ship is out of commission for a little while but luckily there was no major damage to the hull. After the investigation into the attack is completed, Erwin will then be able to move forward with repairs. So the crew got to choose between working on the other ships or taking an extended vacation. Now that you’re awake, Erwin will want to talk to you about what happened. As for what happened with Eren, we subtly asked his cousin Mikasa if she knew of any strange medical conditions he might have. Her answer was a little vague, like she knew about something but wasn’t exactly sure what it was. She called her father, Hannes who Eren lived with for a few years after his parents died and said he would fly over here to reveal what he knows. He should be here later today so your timing is perfect. Lie back down and rest until he gets here. You are due for some more painkillers shortly anyway- you lucky dog.”

 

“Lucky, my ass. I just want my fiancé to wake up and fully recover so we can put all this shit behind us. Is it too much to ask for wanting a simple, happy life?” I sighed and tried to lay down as carefully as I could. It still hurt like a motherfucker no matter how gingerly I moved.

 

“At the rate he’s healing, he’ll be back to normal in no time. He might end up feeling the same about you if you don’t get better soon. So rest. Doctor’s orders.”

 

“Fucking shitty glasses,” I murmured as she walked out the door and I could only hope that this Hannes person would arrive soon and explain what the hell was going on with Eren.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so very sorry this is soooo late. With the holidays came a lot more time at work and then I got sick. Hope this longer chapter makes up for it just a teeny bit. Happy New Year to everyone!

Chapter 42

I guessed I must have drifted off since the next thing I knew after mentally cursing out Hanji, I was being poked in the arm by my boss and that annoying doctor was right back at my bedside again .

"What the fuck Erwin? That hurts - wait everything hurts. What are you doing here? Don't you belong in France making sure my boat gets fixed?"

"Good to see you are feeling better Levi. You gave us quite a scare. You've always been a survivor and now you have someone else to survive for. And unfortunately the repairs won't even start until the investigation is concluded, which could be another week or possibly a few months."

"That's ridiculous! People are out of work and customers booked their vacations months ago. They need to complete their investigation right away and allow us to fix up the ship."

"I'm sure now that you are awake the authorities will want to interrogate you to see what went down with Kenny. Hanji already disclosed to you that I have told the media and law enforcement that Kenny attacked our ship as a terrorist act for no apparent reason other than to wreak havoc. So they should be releasing the ship soon after you give your official statement and repairs shouldn't be too extensive. I have been pushing as hard as I could to get La Liberte back on the sea again. Right now there is a more pressing issue, as we need to find out what happened with Eren. His uncle is finally here and I'm hoping he can provide some answers."

"That's all fine and good but that can wait just a few more minutes. Do you know when I can see Eren? Not that I don't trust you Hanji, but I need to see for myself that he is OK and not transformed into some monster." 

"I assure you he's no monster- still unconscious but doing well. He should be waking up in a day or two if his vital signs are any indication. But in the meantime, need to interview this uncle Hannes. My brother and I have run some tests and the results are both amazing and intriguing."

"What the fuck Hanji? My fiance is not some guinea pig or pin cushion!"

"Don't worry your little head Levi. We only ran the standard blood tests during treatment. It's nothing like we've ever seen before. However, our Hippocratic oath as doctors prevents us from any unauthorized experimentation."

"Why does that not make me feel any better?"

"I hope this uncle has some answers or we may need to get them from Eren himself when he wakes up since we can't dissect him or anything."

I tried to reach over and slap that crazy lady upside the head, "Hanji! Owwww." I really wanted to smash those glasses right off her face but I was still too sore to do any damage. Luckily for her, Erwin interjected.

"Well, the reason we invited Hannes here was because Mikasa came to me after finding out Eren was in the hospital and Pixis had mentioned to the crew of there being some strange things that he found in the engine room. She said that she was told by Hannes to keep an eye on Eren and to contact him immediately if anything strange ever happened. She said that she was never given any details but was very concerned when she discovered something odd happened with her cousin."

I was shocked even more than before, if that was even possible. "So we would have to believe that this uncle knew there was a potential issue with Eren. How could Eren never mention this to me? What the hell? Hanji do you think maybe even Eren himself didn't know about this...this..whatever the fuck it is?"

"I don't know, Levi. Next to you, he's the most honest guy I've ever met, you're just a lot more blunt. I can't believe he would hide something potentially dangerous from us, especially you."

"I would hope so, we were about to dedicate our hearts and lives to each other. If he was hiding something monumental like he is some sort of mutant beast, how can we build our marriage with that looming over us all of the time."

"True but let's go see if we can get some answers before we start speculating too much."

Hanji and Erwin both helped me up from the bed. I was still extremely sore and needed to rely on their support though I would never admit that to either of them. I held in my grimaces of pain as we walked out of the room to meet with Eren's uncle, everyone anxious to hear what he had to say. In the next room I was surprised by the appearance of the unassuming man there. He was of average height, had mousy brown hair and a mustache. If this was Hannes, he looked nothing like the raven haired Mikasa or the chocolate locked Eren. Maybe the family relation was more distant than I previously thought. But it was not the time to worry about details like that. Erwin greeted the man first with a firm handshake that shook the whole man's body. 

"Mr. Hannes, I'm Admiral Erwin Smith. Glad you were able to come on short notice. This is captain Levi who was there with Eren when the incident occurred and we are all hoping you might be able to explain what might have happened. "

"Nice to meet you, Admiral. Captain Levi, I've heard a lot about you from Mikasa and of course Eren. That boy thinks the world of you and he was over the moon when he called and told me that you two were engaged. I truly hope that what you saw didn't change your feelings towards Eren."

"Well Mr. Hannes I was injured and a little woozy from blood loss so I can't be one hundred percent certain what I saw. I was mostly concerned with trying to find a way to protect the man I love. So, of course the first question I'm sure we all have is what the hell caused this to happen?"

"I'm so sorry you had to find this out by this tragedy. His parents and I had hoped this would never manifest itself again. I was going to tell the both of you at your wedding. Even Eren doesn't know about this condition of his; however, as horrible as it may seem, it's also what saved his life. It goes way back to the time he was around 11 years old. His father was only trying to do something beneficial that would eventually help all mankind. But something went terribly wrong."

"Wrong? That's an understatement if I ever heard one. His father did something to him? What did he do? Was Eren aware of this?"

"I honestly don't know if Eren knew what his father was trying to accomplish, but I am pretty sure he was involved since he wanted to participate in the relief missions again after being barred from it. I was only brought into this by my sister after the first incident. They knew if anything ever happened to them, someone needed to know for their son's sake."

"What kind of shit was his parents into? The asshole mercenary who attacked us was trying to get his hands on something that Eren's dad was working on. Said it was worth a lot of money. "

"I'll try to explain every thing I can. I don't even know all of the details myself but I can assure you the Jaegers were not bad people and they weren't doing anything for profit. Quite the opposite. It started back when Eren was almost 8 years old. He came down with a bad case of malaria after going with his parents to a trip to Ecuador to help children there. They had gotten Eren immunized before they went but the vaccine must have been faulty or something, since he got very sick. My sister Carla was beside herself that they had put Eren in danger by bringing him with them on their relief missions, even though that kid always begged to go with them. He loved helping others and shared his father's dream of eradicating all diseases from the world. Thankfully, he pulled through and got better after being ill for almost 2 months. Carla refused to let Eren go on any more of their relief trips and he was devastated. Grisha didn't want his son or any one else living in fear of contracting an illness and hesitating to help others in need because of it. So Dr. Jaeger made it his goal to develop a super vaccine that would boost a person's natural immunity to fight off any type of illness. This would be amazingly cost effective as everyone would only need one shot to be protected against almost every possible health threat. He was committed with designing this and then going out and administering it to any and all underprivileged people with the profits he would make from those who would gladly pay for such a breakthrough. Sadly he was a very paranoid man and was constantly worried that word of his work would leak to those who would want the vaccine to sell to the highest bidder and those that needed it the most would never get to benefit from it. So he locked himself away in his basement and worked on it alone."

"So you are telling us that the doctor became some reclusive, mad scientist working out of his basement...sounds like something Hanji would do. And how was he testing this stuff? Surely he wasn't using his son as a guinea pig?"

"No, of course not. He tested very sparingly on himself, making sure that Carla was fully aware of exactly the formula he used and to watch over him after every injection. It took about 2 and a half years for him to successfully test the vaccine and only after rigorous self inflicted experiments did he deem it safe to try on Eren. Carla still had some reservations obviously but Eren was so adamant about it. He could go back out to help his parents bring hope to children for a longer, healthier life, so she acquiesced. Grisha gave Eren the injection and the two of them watched him like a hawk for six months before they agreed he was indeed immune and it was safe for him to travel again."

"He was still just a kid. At 11, Eren was so eager to go out and help the unfortunate that he allowed himself to undergo a vaccine treatment with no long term testing? He would do such a thing, that selfless bastard. I just can't understand how a parent would allow this, even with testing. It was just on one person so it couldn't have been reliable. And of course something went wrong- big shock there. What exactly happened?"

"I wish I could answer that completely. No one ever did find an exact cause and Grisha never personally experienced anything similar - must have been unique to Eren's DNA from what little Grisha could surmise. So that summer of Eren's 11th year, he helped his parents assist lots of people in need. When he went back to school that fall a handful of the kids in his class teased him constantly. He had gotten well tanned from being outside in tropical climates all summer and he had let his hair grow long. Some called him a hippie, others called him homeless trash. It was incessant but he just chalked it up to being different. Then one day his class got an exchange student from Ecuador. Eren was thrilled as he and his parents had stayed at this boy's village when they were there and spoke about how the health of everyone there was better now thanks to the Jaegers. Of course the class bullies ran with this information and at lunch they raided the table where Eren and the exchange student were seated. It started with nudges and poking and phrases like 'trash should be discarded in the squalor from where they came' and 'too bad there wasn't some new disease to wipe out the poor.' Then the nudges turned into full on pushing and shoving as the two were obviously angered by the rude and cruel teasing. Eren having been very active during the summer had also built up a decent amount of muscle tone so the bullies' advances were not effective on him at all; however, the other boy was not built for fighting. When the brutes smashed their lunches and began throwing punches when Eren pushed back, they knocked the Ecuadorian to the ground, bumping his head and rendering him unconscious. Now I am not sure if Eren ever told you, but he was in trouble for fighting in school a lot but the majority of the time it was because he was defending someone else. He never really seemed to care when others would harass him; however, as soon as anyone picked on anyone who he deemed undeserving of such treatment, he would always jump to the rescue. So while his motives were always altruistic, they were also suicidal as he sustained a lot of injuries and a bad reputation to boot. His parents tried their best to dissuade him from getting involved in other's affairs but that just wasn't in his nature. So on that day, he took on a pack of 4 or 5 kids in retaliation for hurting the new student and insulting those less fortunate. From what little information Mikasa and the Admiral have provided before I got here, it appears that the incident in the boiler room on La Liberte is similar to what happened next that day so many years ago. Eren was being pummeled, though remained unrelenting in fighting back. Then one of the attackers went over to the poor exchange student who was still unconscious on the ground and started kicking him in the ribs. That's what seems to have sent Eren over the edge- to attack someone completely defenseless. Most of the other kids in the class knew better than to get involved with the class bullies and kept their distance and the teacher was out of the room. So the eyewitness recounts were never detailed but from what information we could gather, Eren just went crazy. His muscles appeared to bulk up and his eyes turned an odd color from what one of the bullies described before Eren began throwing punches. He seriously injured most of the bullies-one of which almost critically- the one who had kicked the other boy in the ribs. Eren broke some bones in his legs so badly that the kid was never able to walk properly again. Needless to say it was a legal nightmare for the Jaegers but they settled it quietly and offered free healthcare at the hospital where Grisha worked part time. As for Eren, it was then that his parents realized something had mutated his DNA where he could morph into a superhuman monster of sorts. It must have been only a short-lived condition, as when the teacher got back into the room, she didn't notice anything odd about Eren except his eyes. She said the color looked different somehow, and were full of confusion. By the time they got Eren to the hospital for treatment, most of his cuts and bruises were already healed and he was discharged almost right away. Eren seemed to have no recollection at all that anything had happened. Grisha ran a ton of tests on Eren and finally found an anomaly where the vaccine had caused Eren's immune system to kick into overdrive and enable a self healing factor. He never did find out what caused the inhuman strength and eye-color change. It seemed to be linked to Eren's anger. So they pulled him out of school just in case someone or something would trigger it again. But his father never found the exact cause of the mutation. Grisha even went against his reclusive nature and brought in one of his colleagues from the hospital to check for a cause but to no avail. That proved to be a deadly mistake as that colleague was the only likely candidate to leak info about Dr Jaeger's research. Gossip and speculation in the medical community ran amok. The news somehow even made it to terrorists and mercenaries, though no one ever had any concrete proof- no notes, no samples, nothing. Grisha had immediately destroyed everything in his lab just in case his work fell into the wrong hands after the incident with Eren. It had devastating potential and only Eren's body held the secrets locked deep in his DNA."

 

"So what I saw in that engine room wasn't my overactive imagination kicking in? Eren actually changed? Those eyes- they were like molten, glowing, golden orbs and he looked like some wrestler on steroids. And these guys that invaded my ship wanted to get their grubby hands on whatever it was the Doctor had cooked up in that basement? So there is no evidence left at all about what he did? Would they have thought to kidnap and dissect Eren? And with no documentation at all , was there no chance of a cure?" I couldn't believe this had been done to a child. I thought to myself that the effort was honorable, but the results....were they worth it? Would it ever happen again? What if I upset Eren and he turned on me. Would Eren remember this latest incident unlike the last time? Did he truly not recall what he did or was that a child's coping mechanism. I wished that this man would have brought more answers than questions and while I wanted to lash out at him, I knew he was nothing more than one of the innocent bystanders of an experiment gone wrong. 

 

"No, the Jeagers burned any and all evidence- written and physical. Ironically, years ago, some thieves broke into the house which had been laying dormant, waiting for Eren to inherit it when he turned 18. Those bastards burned the entire thing down when I guess they didn't find anything. So any hope of a cure died with the Jaegers that day in Mali. Unless he wants to submit himself to all sorts of new testing, no one would be able to come up with a solution. Poor Eren has really gotten the short end of the stick in this life. Deep down he has a heart of gold and it's just so unfortunate. He doesn't deserve what happened to him, then or now."

 

Hannes' words resonated within my head and my heart. I was ashamed that I ever thought that I would not be able to live with Eren after this. He was an amazing person and this didn't change anything. Eren wasn't hiding anything from us, as he really didn't seem to know. If I ever did enrage him, I would deserve whatever wrath he inflicted on me. With my past of taking out scum like it was going out of style, I was more of a monster than he would ever be. I suddenly needed to see Eren right away. I had been selfish and cowardly and that was not who I needed to be. Eren needed me as much as I had become dependent on him. I had waited long enough. 

 

"Hanji, take me to Eren right now."


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

 

I made my way to Eren's room as quickly as my still damaged and sore body would let me, led by that maniacal doctor. When we all entered the room, which was an exact carbon copy of the one I found myself in, Hanji's brother was there injecting something into one of the two IV's connected to the young man. I walked up to the bedside and looked down at the figure laying there. All sorts of tubes and gadgets were connected to him, and all manners of machines were beeping, whooshing or beating out some sort of rhythmical tune. It was disconcerting for me at the very least to see Eren like this- for someone always so full of vigor and vitality with his gorgeous bronzed skin and luminous Caribbean eyes to be so still and his complexion slightly ashen. The only sign of life at all was a barely noticeable rise and fall of his chest. I placed my hand on his forehead to gently stroke the fringe of hair there. It was the only place that didn't seem to be hindered by some sort of apparatus or bandage and I just needed to touch him- just to reassure myself that he was indeed there. Living and breathing and not just a figment of my severely messed up subconscious. I was startled by the extreme heat I felt from his skin and almost recoiled at the initial shock but the need for contact outweighed that first reaction. But why was he so warm- that certainly wasn't normal from what little I know about anything medical. My barebones, first aid training taught me that fever was most often indicative of an infection and while not really dangerous most of the time, something this severe would most certainly be very serious. "Why is he so hot?" I asked, insanely concerned as it would be even worse to lose Eren to an infection after surviving extreme injuries.

Hanji's brother, who was introduced to all of us only as "Dieter" replied "We just don't know. Hanji and I have run numerous blood tests for traces of a virus or of the obvious usual suspect of a bacterial infection and nothing, nada....It is quite natural for a slightly elevated temperature to occur during a body's recuperative process but with him, it's like a machine, generating intense heat as it goes through speed healing."

I kept my hand right where it was and continued to play with Eren's bangs. Just having the physical contact with him eased a ton off of my shoulders, seeing him alive. Of course, it wasn't the same as if he was up and around but I was immensely content with one miracle at a time. Eren had survived against all odds and I confirmed with my own two eyes that he wasn't some distorted, twisted monster. He could never be that even if his physical form mutated in some way. Nothing would ever change the wonderful person that he was and I still was filled with intense guilt over ever considering that this changed anything. He had been willing to sacrifice himself to save me, just as I was hell-bent on finding a way to get him out alive no matter the cost to me. Now that we all knew what had allowed Eren to gain superhuman strength and healing abilities, we all owed it to the memory of his parents to keep that secret from leaking out to the wrong people. From what Hannes had explained and what Kenny had been rambling about, it was quite possible that Rogue Titan may not have been the only terrorist group to find out about Grisha's secret experiment. Which opened up a whole new can of worms.

"So who's to say that others won't be seeking out Eren? Who else did this colleague of Dr. Jaeger's blab to? And what ever happened to that jerk?" I posed to no one in particular as I was really just thinking aloud.

Everyone seemed to just look around at each other, searching for an answer that most likely could not be had. Hannes spoke up surprisingly, even though we all knew there was no way to answer yes or no to this quandary. "I happen to know the answer to that. Grisha confided in one of his oldest friends and colleagues in desperation - both he and Carla were eaten up with guilt wondering what would happen to Eren for the duration of his life. Would it happen again? What brings on this physical change? Would it eventually destroy him? So many questions that it drove him to seek out help from the one man he trusted and had gone to medical school with – Gunther Shultz. Gunther was a very trustworthy friend of the family but he worked at the General Hospital which serviced mostly low income families. He didn’t have much time for any research projects and like the Jaegers he volunteered some spare time working for free in third world countries - just not nearly as often. He came from a poor family unlike Grisha, so he never had much income. So of course, he saw an amazing opportunity the moment he found out about Eren and his healing factor. The temptation was greater than his loyalty to keep the secret. Deep down I think he wanted the money and recognition but still wanted to help mankind in general. Grisha warned him not to but Gunther approached 2 research companies to see if he could get funding to start his own experiments based on the info he had gathered from Eren's blood work. He was far from a breakthrough but lacked equipment and funding to do more on his own without Grisha’s resources. The first company he solicited didn't give him the time of day since he was not a well known scientist and had little documented experience in a research lab. The second company however was intrigued by what Gunther proposed and they offered a cash advance in return for concrete proof in a month’s time. Gunther must have really needed the money and he took the offer without having any idea of what Grisha has used for the vaccine. All he had was a blood sample he was given so he could look for a cause of sudden mutation brought on by anger. He had no luck in finding a reason behind the anomaly but he had hopes of replicating the incredible healing factor he had discovered. Seems Grisha didn't disclose that part to Gunther -he just mentioned that the vaccine had a weird side effect of the increased strength when a subject was angered. It was only meant to boost immunity to almost all common diseases. So when he saw the amazing quick healing properties in Eren's blood he knew immediately he could cash in if he could find the secret behind it. So he got his cash from the drug company and tried to uncover the secrets in Eren's DNA in a fancy lab they set him up in. The pressure was high and his research fruitless. He later begged Grisha to share his secrets with him but he refused, mortified that his good friend would betray his trust. The drug company didn't get their return on their investment and began to harass Gunther to repay the advance. Turned out they had deep ties to many underground drug rings supplying dangerous synthetics to minors all over the world. Titan Rogue was one of the many groups that were a part of their organization acting as both a distributor of their illicit drugs and as leg breakers. That's how they got involved in this whole mess. When Gunther had run out of extensions, Titan Rogue was sent in to ruff him up and try get some results out of him in addition to the money owed. They tortured him for information which is how he finally spit out that the research he was working on was actually the product of Grisha Jaeger not him. 

"And that's when Titan Rogue set their sights on finding Dr. Jaeger, right?" I asked but needed no answer.

"Yeah. Gunther spent the next year in and out of a coma from the trauma that was inflicted on him. He apologized to Grisha for what he had done and regretted it deeply. He had endangered them all. So it gave the Jaeger's another excuse to spend most of their time travelling from country to country on relief missions. It was a difficult life- always having to look behind their backs; never knowing if anyone was tracking them. Gunther eventually succumbed to his injuries and even after doing some additional research on his own, he never found any information regarding what had gone wrong with the vaccine he gave Eren. The poor kid has been a ticking time bomb all these years. We knew anger definitely triggered that episode in school but no one had a clue if anything else would too. Fear, depression, grief, maybe even extreme nervousness. Everyone waited with bated breath for the next outburst. Everyone, except Eren, who remained blissfully unaware- we were all so afraid to tell him in fear of the disclosure itself causing him to lose it. I promised his parents along with Mikasa to keep an eye on him as much as possible and sadly we have become lax over the years having him go so long without an episode. We began to think maybe it was just a one-shot thing that had long worked its way out of his system. He really concentrated on anger management at the insistence of his mother and studied lots of mediation techniques when he was India. There didn’t seem to be much cause for concern in recent years so when I got the call from Mikasa, I knew it was bad."

“Well, I can assure everyone in this room that I promise to never anger Eren in any way, shape or form. That and I will vow to mow down anyone who even thinks of mentioning any details about Eren to anyone outside of this room.” I warned.

Erwin, always the diplomat, spoke for the lot, “I’m sure everyone here understands that this is highly sensitive data and would never risk the safety of you two.”

“Good, then we won’t have a problem. Do you guys think I can have just a few moments alone with Eren? I’ll meet you in the hall in a few minutes. This has just been extremely overwhelming and seems we might never be completely out of the woods.”

“Of course!” Dieter and Hanji exclaimed in unison and the group filed out of the room one by one and closed the doors behind them. There was plenty of murmuring in the hall so I knew they would keep occupied while I took the opportunity to hold my fiancé’s hand and tell him how much I love him, and how sorry I was for the pain he had to go through. I’ve seen many horrific sights in my life as a soldier and you learn to harden yourself to that, especially after losing my parents so young. So crying was not something I had done since I was a young child. But I guess all of that pent up grief had to come out sometime as tears caught me by surprise, rolling down my face and onto Eren’s bed as I whispered how much I missed him and that I hoped he would wake up soon. 

Slightly embarrassed at my breakdown, I wiped my eyes and cleaned my nose and gave Eren’s hand a final squeeze before leaving. I made it about halfway to the door when I heard something. It was barely discernible but it sounded like my name. I turned around and sure enough, Eren repeated my name in a small, raspy voice. He was awake! I sprinted right back to the bed and brought my face in close to his. He smiled slightly and his eyes were big as ever- big and beautiful and…..

“Wha…” I caught myself gasping at this new sight. Eren was awake but instead of the 2 beautiful green eyes I had come to love to gaze into, I was instead greeted by one ocean green and the other a golden, glowing orb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a shorter chapter but we are sadly nearing the final part of the story but good stuff is just on the horizon...


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

I guess I was frozen in place for a few moments as I stared into those beautiful mesmerizing and mismatched eyes. I was jolted back to reality when I felt an incredibly feverish hand touch mine. I had forgotten how warm his forehead had felt and his hand seemed impossibly more intense. There was so much I wanted to say to him, I wanted to take him in my arms and hold him close. I wanted to hold onto him forever and protect him. I would never fail him again if he was always by my side. I wanted to kiss his sweet lips and every inch of his being so I could savor his taste forever. But at that moment I couldn't be selfish and there were still so many questions, too many mysteries and uncertainties for my liking. I gripped his hand like both of our lives depended on it.

"Eren, thank goodness. " was all I could manage to choke out as I was completely immobilized by a wide smile on my fiancé’s face. He was awake and happy enough to smile - at that moment I couldn't have asked for anything more. I had no idea how long I stood there like that, standing over Eren's bedside but I deduced it had to be a few minutes at least since our perfectly quiet moment was rudely interrupted by 3 others.

Of course the obnoxious shifty glasses chick had to shatter my moment of elation with a high pitched screech. "He’s awake!!!! Levi! We didn't know what happened to you – we turned around and you were gone. We feared you passed out in the hallway. But here you are and Eren is awake. Does he remember anything?" The woman was practically jumping up and down in place and I was thoroughly agitated. 

"Hold your horses, woman. He just regained consciousness." I hissed back at her. "Give him a chance to fully wake up and drink some water or something before you start grilling him."

"Of course! We aren't heartless or cruel. We want Eren to feel up to it before we interview him. Let's all give him a day and we'll see how he feels tomorrow."

"Good, now all of you get out until tomorrow." I huffed as I started physically cramming everyone out through the doorway.

"I'll still need to check on his vital signs later tonight " the Deiter yelled as he was pushed into the hallway. 

"That's fine. Just no poking and prodding for now, please. I prefer not to have my fiancé traumatized any more than necessary right now. “ I said to the door that I had finally shut. "Now where were we? Oh yeah I was gazing adoringly into your eyes and thanking every and any deity that ever existed that you are OK." I made my way back over to his side pulling the big armchair that had been in the corner to the bed. I was still too sore to stand for an extended amount of time and even moving the chair a few feet caused the pain to flare up. I sat down gingerly and grabbed Eren's hand again.

For the first time, I noticed Eren's ring was not on his finger. Hanji and her brother better had put it somewhere safe or there would be a catastrophic disaster heading their way after what I went through to get it in the first place. I traced the place where his ring should have been with my thumb and I felt him hitch for a moment. I guess the realization hit him too as I looked over at him and his eyes had widened for just a moment. Those eyes that I caught myself staring into now more than ever with the mystery of their mismatched origin. I pondered on what he would think of it. Would he have any recollection this time of what happened while he was in that altered state? Would he even believe us when he discovers what happened back as a child and again in present time? I still was in a state of disbelief myself.

His voice was so small and scratchy I almost missed his words "I'm so glad you are OK. I was really afraid you weren't going to make it. That jerk stabbed you so deep and there was so much blood." his voice cracking even more than before.

"Shhh. Don't even think about that now. It's over and he can't ever hurt either of us again. "

"What happened to him? Did the police get a call from someone?"

"Kenny is dead and that's all you have to worry about for now. Your uncle is here and we will go over everything tomorrow. For now, let's rest up. It's been a long day. Thank goodness you are awake and healing and all I want in the world is to cuddle up with you if that's OK with you?"

I guess it was fine with him as he slowly scooted over and lifted up the covers so I could slide in next to him. Which was easier said than done as I grunted slightly from the pain in my side. But I didn't mind one bit and would have gladly walked on a bed of nails to be by his side.

We dozed off and on for the rest of the day until Hanji’s brother Dieter came by to check on Eren. The doctor told us he was almost fully healed and just needed to recover his strength. I, on the other hand needed to get back to my room to have my bandages changed and take more antibiotics and pain killers. I didn't have much of an appetite yet and it seemed Eren didn't either. I gave him a quick kiss goodnight before I left him and promised we would all be back early in the morning to explain what had happened - at least as much we knew anyway. There were still many unanswered questions that would most likely remain a mystery forever.

I went back to my room and even with the medication, I could not fall asleep. I was certain the napping we had done that afternoon didn't help but I couldn't stop fretting over how Eren would react to the story we were about to spin for him. That and I sorely missed being with him. He always soothed me on the nights we had been able to spend together and even after just a few hours of physical contact my body, mind and soul craved all that was Eren Jaeger.

Morning came after what seemed like an eternity and much to my aggravation I was greeted by an overly enthusiastic doctor who didn't know how to respect personal boundaries. She never knocked and got right up to my face to shout out her morning salutations. I really couldn't wait to get out of wherever the hell we were and move on with our lives. After she went through the motions taking my vital signs and administering my meds, she told me we would meet in Eren's room after breakfast. I tried to choke down some bland oatmeal and room temperature orange juice before cleaning up as best I could with just a sink at my disposal. I then wandered out into the hallway where Erwin, Hannes and Hanji were waiting. Seemed Dieter had rounds to do at the local hospital and I was somewhat glad to have one less distraction in the room when we told Eren. 

We made the quick walk to his door and it never failed to amaze me just how much his bright smile could illuminate an entire city block once we opened it. He was sitting up in bed, obviously expecting us. It was still slightly disconcerting to see him with two different eye colors and he caught me staring. 

"What's wrong? Did I get some oatmeal on my face or something,” he chuckled, his voice a little clearer and stronger than yesterday.

“Nope, just staring at the most beautiful sight in the world,” I replied trying to play off my fixation on his eyes.

“Ha, you must be day dreaming since there is no sunset on the ocean here,” he teased. “So you’re all going to tell me what happened? I can’t believe those guys were after me all of these years and for something my dad supposedly worked on. It must have been some wrong information. And why is Uncle Hannes here?”

The Admiral spoke up first having the lead authority in the room and hopefully also setting the theme that what was being disclosed was truth in addition to being deadly serious. “Eren, first let me tell you that everything we tell you today is what we know from direct knowledge only. There is a lot of back-story that Hannes was kind enough to disclose to us. There are some details, we obviously don’t know and from what we understand, you were not aware of them either. Just please know that what we know will be held in highest secrecy. No one but us knows you are here. Dr. Dieter and Dr. Hanji had treated you and Levi here exclusively and I have given only the barest of information to the authority and the media. You are safe here and your continued security is our main concern. We are each going to tell you everything we know, starting with Hannes since it goes back to before we knew you and we’ll finish with Hanji who got involved after you were both found in the engine room. It may all be a bit overwhelming so if you need a break at any time, let us know.”

“I just want some answers. Why they targeted Levi and I and what they were really looking for. I don’t need any sugar coating- just please tell me.”

Hannes started his tale, going back to Eren’s childhood. He basically repeated the exact story that he had provided for us earlier, except with a few more personal memories that both he and Eren brought up on occasion. When his uncle mentioned that his father had used an experimental vaccine on his, Eren seemed a bit upset but it wasn’t until he heard that he had seriously hurt the bullies who had threatened him and the exchange student. Eren didn’t interrupt- he just seemed to take it all in like a sponge. When Hannes was done with his part, I picked up the story from when I had first discovered the 3 unfamiliar employees onboard the ship and how I had found one trying to break into Eren and Jean’s room. I finished up unto the moment I passed out from my injuries, recalling the last thing I had seen was a bulked up, fiery – eyed Eren coming towards me and Kenny. Hanji and Erwin finished up the story with theories they had come up with based on the physical evidence at the scene when Hanji and Pixis arrived. 

Eren seemed shell-shocked from the overload of information and remained in contemplative silence for a good 15 minutes before he spoke. “It’s so weird; I never thought any of this was real. After the time at school, I had a few nightmares where I was some monster with red eyes attacking anything in my path. I figured it was just my guilty conscience for hurting other kids manifesting itself in bad dreams. I had similar odd flashbacks the last few days. I can’t remember much at all of what happened, then or now, but those memories are there in my subconscious. I just was too afraid to admit them to anyone- they were so crazy. I guess I can control it if I’ve gone this long before I had a 2nd episode but if anger triggers it, Levi is going to have to make sure I am always happy. So you think this is some sort of genetic mutation? I don’t have any residual side effects, like a third arm or anything?”

“Well, Hannes said you didn’t have any physical changes after the fact last time, but there seems to be one small difference this time,” I figured it was as good a time as any to show since he’s already been inundated with a ton of heavy baggage. Hanji brought out a mirror from her purse and walked over the Eren so he could see for himself. As he gazed into his reflection, those eyes spoke volumes as they were filled with shock mixed with a touch of wonder. “Oh shit....” he said quietly and handed the mirror back to the doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! A little bit of fluff! Now that all of the horrible business is over with, we can move into our final arc of the story....More fluff awaits...


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter45

Eren continued to stare into the mirror, a look of awe and disbelief covering his entire visage. I understood that feeling one hundred percent having just gone through the exact gammit of emotions just the day before. "Shit" he repeated. 

"Yeah that is some fucked up shit, though I don't mind it in the least. It doesn't change who you are and both eyes are still amazingly beautiful. "

He smiled slightly at that and I gave him one back to further reassure him that my feelings hadn't changed. If anything the incident with Kenny had only made me appreciate him even more and my instinct to protect him had just gotten more intense.

"So are there any other mutations that got stuck halfway or might just show up randomly in the future? That could be a major concern. If I just have to worry about keeping my temper in check, I've been working on that since my teens. I vowed to never lose myself in a rage and hurt anyone again. Those bullies deserved to be put in their place but not critically injured. I lived with that guilt all these years and took lots of anger management and relaxation classes. I never imagined that I morphed into some kind of monster. It explains how I was able to do such damage but still seems so surreal. I know I would never hurt anyone intentionally, I just hope there aren't any other triggers. "

Hanji chimed in, "we don't think that will be an issue. You have lived a normal life for many years, obviously experiencing plenty of emotions. The tests Dieter and I have run so far show that you seem normal, other than the increased healing factor. Your blood seems to attack and annihilate any germ or disease we throw at it. It's amazing but we are no closer to finding out how it works."

"So if it's that amazing wouldn't anyone still want to get ahold of it?" voicing an obvious concern we all had.

"If the leader of Titan Rogue came after you personally then I would have to say there is a good chance that the whole organization knows about you. Unless Kenny is the type of guy to keep things to himself and just his most trusted cronies. He knew that if he could find documentation on your dad 's research it would be worth a ton of money and he may have been too greedy to share. So maybe luck was on your side and he told no one else. Who knows? Levi might know his personality better and what he would be more inclined to do."

"From all of the years the French Navy chased after him, that mother fucker was the most cut -throat, egotistical and greedy bastard we knew. His brother was his only confident we were aware of. Obviously he was the only one he trusted to go after Eren's family in Mali. They raided their campsite looking for evidence and found nothing. When he confronted Grisha at the makeshift clinic, it seems things went wrong when the doctor pulled a gun on Kenny' s brother and he panicked. That gunshot is what alerted us to run over there and we took all of those guys out. So who knows if Kenny let anyone else know after that incident that there was still one Jaeger left alive who might have the research information or better yet, a sample of the vaccine itself. They seemed to have no clue that Eren's boy hinself harbored the secrets they were looking for."

"So that means I won't ever be completely safe for as long as we still have left to live? I'll have to be looking over my shoulder every day. Not to mention endangering anybody near me. What if they come looking for me here? And I certainly can't go back on La Liberte. All those poor passengers had their trip interrupted and the ship tore up. It's a miracle no one else got hurt. I guarantee the next time we won'r be so fortuitous."

Erwin chimed in, "Levi made sure to do everything he could to ensure his guests and crew were safe. That's why I hired him as a Captain and he has never let me down."

Hanji then interjected "For now, don't worry your pretty head about anyone finding us here. This is Dieter's secret facility that he discovered left over from the war. It was sadly once used for Nazi research and hiding, but it was abandoned and Dieter came across it once when he got lost hiking. He installed a tiny security camera and watched it for like two years to see if anyone would ever come by to use it. No one ever did so he claimed it as his own and practically made it an impenetrable fortress. "

"Uh...and what does your brother do that necessitates that kind of security? Like if we ever found out we'd have to be killed sort of thing?"

"Oh no Eren, nothing like that. He likes making his own homebrew beer and wanking off to weird films. He can't do that at home so he 'll come here every once in a while to get away from his wife, Ilse. She hates beer - what kind of German is she? Guess she doesn't like kinky sex either but the other studd he brought in later. He had some leftover medical equipment when one of the hospitals he worked at closed so he just brought it here rather than just throw it away. Always environmentally friendly that brother of mine."

Eren and I couldn't help but giggle at Hanji's words. Seemed the whole family was eccentric but I was still too sore to let out the full blown guffaw that I wanted to. Then another thought snapped into my head like a bolt of lightning. Yeah we were safe here but like Eren said, we couldn't stay in here for the rest of our lives even with a lifelong supply of fresh beer. We needed and wanted to go forth and live the rest of our lives. We had a wedding and hopefully infinitely more moments of happiness to share together. Was there any one else who would be coming after Eren?

"We can't go back to LA Liberte, Erwin."

"Well, of course not. The repairs aren't completed and you aren't fully healed yet. " the Admiral replied as if I was speaking nonsense. 

"No, seriously, even though Eren and I killed Kenny and those guys he brought with them, who knows if anyone else in their organization was aware of what their mission entailed. They might send more goons to finish the job or maybe even to exact revenge for Kenny. They probably looked up where my house was in Cannes. With your permission I bought it under the Survey Corps name all those years back to keep it anonymous but they may have found out if they managed to get any info from anyone on board once they infiltrated it. It will never be completely safe to go back there, as much as it pains me to walk away from my beloved abode and boat. But Eren is irreplaceable and I won't risk his life or our future together. It was almost ripped away from us once and I won't waste this second chance we've been given."

"So what do you two plan to do for the rest of your lives? Like you said, you clearly can't just crash here in this old Nazi hideout indefinitely."

"Ooh oh, I know!" Hanji yelled and started jumping up and down. "We can get you two new identities and you can go in the witness protection program. "

"That's a bit extreme but not too far off from what I had in mind. If Eren of course agrees to it. "

"If it means we can all be safe, I'll do whatever it takes. "

"It's not commonly done but if we both get married here in Germany, we can both take a different last name. I know it usually is one or the other but we can make something up when we apply for a legal name change...I'll have Erwin sell my place and I'll just cash out all that unused vacation. We'll have plenty of liquid assets to pay in full for a modest little bungalow for 2 in some remote place. Maybe we can even find part-time jobs helping someone out under the table. No records of us owning property and no employment on the books. We just have to find a place where no one from Titan Rogue would ever think to look."

Hanji seemed to be all aboard with the idea, clapping her hands and jumping up and down, " Thats an excellent idea, Levi. You and Eren can be like Robinson and Crusoe on a deserted island living off the land. And we can all charter a boat and visit sometimes. "

I could only just glare at her and her outrageousness. Luckily Eren caught my drift and was able to speak for the both of us." I think Levi just meant a smaller obscure island. Not a deserted one. That would be a little harsh even for someone as resourceful as he is. "

"Damn fucking straight, that's too harsh. There's no way in hell I am going to sweat my balls off on some tropical island with no electricity."

"That's a pretty drastic step to take. Not to mention starting a marriage while trying to go underground."

"Look Admiral Eyebrows, our marriage will be a brand new chapter anyway, which we will both need to adjust to. We just need to find the right place to settle down and my money should last us a while so we have more than ample time to get fully adjusted."

"Yeah, all that money at once, you are going to bankrupt me. How am I supposed to replace the two of you?"

"I'm sure you'll get by just fine. Take the insurance money and go all out and do a full makeover on La Liberte. Her loyal fans and curious newcomers will flock to a new and improved ship. You could even go all out and do a re-christening."

"Yeah I guess I could. It will be a whole new life for that boat, if I can find a new Captain worthy of her. But what about you two? Eren, are you willing to just drop everything and try to fade into obscurity with Levi?"

"With all due respect sir, I was willing to follow Levi to all ends of the earth since the time I was 15. At that point I had no idea if he would stay in the Navy until he was much older or if he would retire at a younger age. So I had already accepted that if we ever got together, I knew we would be deployed to some of the worst off nations in the world. I was used to that with my parents and I loved it. The feeling that you can bring help and hope to those who felt that they would never see the light of another day is addicting. If we can find a quiet and remote village somewhere not all up to date with information super age, I know we can be content and safe."

"Well said Eren, now you guys just need to pick a place and a new name so we can get you married as soon Levi is healed enough." Hanji squealed with delight.

The wedding. Shit, I forgot that we already had Tiffany working on the arrangements. We couldn't afford to wait that long and I didn't even want to step back into France right now. "Hanji, you are originally from Germany, yes?"

"Yep, born and raised. Why?"

" I need to know one of the most romantic places for a wedding in this country and I need to know how soon you will be giving me the all clear on my health?"

"Oh my goodness; that is simple. Neuschwanstein Castle! King Ludwig 's castle is the perfect place for a fairy tale wedding and you should be healed enough in about two weeks for plenty of newlywedded sex."

I didn't miss a beat and choose to ignore that little comment of the doctor's. "Great, then can you do me a favor and get my cousin Tiffany on the phone? I need to speak to her about getting our wedding changed to Neuschwanstein Castle for the closest date she can get in two weeks. Oh and if you have Eren's ring I would love to put it back on his finger where it belongs."

"Of course, I'll get the ring and make that call. Then I'll be far away so when your cousin starts screaming at you, I won't hear any of it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Change of venue!! Will Tiffany be pissed???... next chapter will be fluffier despite the possible tongue lashing that might happen. Thanks so much for reading as always.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

A few moments later, Eren went to rest and Hanji handed me this brick- looking contraption that had numeric buttons on it as well as a big assed antenna protruding from the top of it. "What the hell is this thing?" I asked clearly confused by the odd device in my hand.

"Oh, maybe you've never seen one like that but we obviously don't get any cellular service out here and the nearest landline is pretty far away as well. That's an old satellite phone set. We keep it here just for dire emergencies since it's so expensive. Thank goodness Dieter doesn't engage in dangerous sexual acts or that could get risky. I've already dialed Tiffany' number so the call should be connecting soon."

"What?!! Now you tell me this. What if she is already on the line? Hello?? Tiffany are you there?" I spoke into the bottom end of the brick, hoping my cousin wasn't already there as her time is money and one of her pet peeves was wasting her time. Hanji just giggled like a school girl back to her room, leaving me alone for the inevitable yelling that was soon to occur.

"Levi, is that you? Hello? You sound like you are a million miles away and under water. What is with that horrible connection?"

"Hi Tiffany, yeah it's me. Sorry for the bad connection but the phone I am on is from the Stone Age. Literally it is heavy as a rock."

"Oh well, is that your excuse for calling me and not saying anything for 2 fucking minutes? What the hell is poor Eren going to think of your atrocious manners?"

"I know. I'm sure you will be quick to bill me at your highest rate for those few moments. So I'm sorry if this seems terse but I don't have a lot of time since I am borrowing this phone."

"You bet your sweet ass I'm going to bill you big time. Wasting my time and then to find out on the news that there was some explosion on your ship. I get no fucking call until now, over a week later. I called your stupid cocksucking cell phone over and over. No answer., I texted and no reply. I didn't know if you were dead or alive. There was no mention of you or Eren. They said there weren't any casualties except the bad guys but who the hell can trust the news these days? I'm glad you're alive though; I haven't gotten the final payment for the wedding yet. I can't kill you until that happens. "

"Uh huh, I appreciate your not killing me but I do have to talk to you about making some changes to the wedding."

"Oh! Have you finally come to your senses and decided to go with the Prime Rib Au jus instead of the roasted rosemary chicken? It’s just too Provencal for a formal event."

"No it’s a bit more drastic of a change. I know you've already put a lot of time into getting a spot for us in a short time but something crazy has happened and we need to move the date up a bit."

"Move it up you say? You do realize how difficult it was to get the original date? Why the fuck do you feel it necessary to move it up? Did you knock up Eren or something? Abstaining from sex until your wedding night and you just can’t wait any longer? What could possibly be so urgent that you feel the need to throw aside all of the hours I sweat, bled and begged to get you the date you wanted at one of the most popular wedding venues in France?" Her voice slowly got louder and louder despite the horrible call quality.

"It's a long story but it's related to the incident on the boat and our safety is at stake. I'll be sure to fill you in later as much as I can, but Eren and I need to get married in two weeks and we would love for it to be at castle Neuschwanstein. Oh and any contact would have to through Erwin since I'm sure we can't use this phone much."

I knew I was in fucking trouble when I didn't get an immediate snarky reply, instead Tiffany graced me with the most evil high pitched sarcastic laughter I have ever experienced coming from her. I knew she'd be upset and had every right to be, but I didn't imagine she’d be delirious with rage. Soon the maniacal guffawing stopped and I found myself missing it after what came next.

"If you fucking think I can just go ahead and casually cancel all of the venues I have painstakingly booked for your shitty Fairy Tale nuptials, you must have your balls lodged in your brain."

"I'm so sorry. You know I wouldn't ask if this if the situation wasn’t so dire."

"You are sorry? That isn't helping much you know you jerkoff. You fucking want me to cancel the date at the castle here in France, the caterers, the Baker, the musicians, the florist and the photographer. I can't even redirect the deposits for all of those asswipes to a new venue because you not only want me to try to plan a wedding in 2 weeks, you now want it up happen in Germany. Your dumb ass must realize that Neuschwanstein is in a fucking totally different country? Have you lost your mother fucking mind in a mire of thick shit? Maybe you got too kinky with Eren in the shower and he pissed in your ear and now it's rotting away at your inconsiderate mind. I can't believe what a total dickwad asshole you are being right now. Holy shit! I need some valium."

I didn't know what the hell else to say. She was fully justified in her rage. I knew I was being selfish but I had promised Eren a wedding he deserved.

"Please Tiffany. I need your help." I all but cried out in a pathetic voice.

"You insufferable piece of donkey dung, how dare you pull out your woe is me, helpless, begging voice. That is totally hitting under the garter belt, you douchebag. Ever since we were little kids you know I could never deny you anything when you used that tone with me. Thank God I'm not there to see those little puppy eyes you use along with it, I might just feel too guilty to charge you all of those cancellation fees I'm going to get hammered with. Remind me to warn Eren about your secret weapon before you try to use it on him one day."

"A guy's gotta have at least one trump card up his sleeve. Geez."

"Well then, you said two weeks at castle Neuschwanstein? I'll have to see if I can reach out to my friend Heidi in Dusseldorf and see who she can recommend. I don't know any caterers or musicians there, do you?"

"Tiff, we don't need to worry about much at all. This will be an extremely private and closed ceremony with just a handful of people in attendance. Like I said, Erwin will fill you in on what he can."

"Ok, it must be really serious so I know not to pry. I'll keep it all on the down low but it will still be a beautiful affair. You know my weddings never fail to disappoint."

‘’You’re the best, Tiffany. I can't begin to thank you enough for this." 

"Of course I'm the best. And you and Eren deserve that. I got a shit ton of stuff to do, so you take care and I'll see you in two weeks at the castle. 

"Bye. Thanks again Tiffany for everything."

“Anything for my favorite cousin."

"Your only cousin." Way to make me feel special.

We hung up and I knew we’d be in good hands between Erwin and my cousin. I still felt the sharp sting of guilt for making her go through so much trouble but the two of us had always been watching out for each other since we were little more than babies. We had no siblings and our dads were both military career men, so we were really the only constant in each other's lives. She was always my perfect alibi if I happened to get up into some mischief and I was always her protector if some guy got out of line. She may not need it anymore but when she was younger, there were quite a few assholes who needed to be taught to respect women. Ah the good old days.

I walked over to the room where Hanji was staying and gratefully handed over the monstrosity of a handset to her. 

"I'm so excited. I can't wait for the wedding! Who's going to wear the dress and veil?" The crazy doctor asked me and I really had to consider if she was joking or not.

"In case you hadn't noticed we are both men and I for one can assure you that neither of us is a fucking blushing bride,, shitty glasses."

"Ok. Ok. I just thought either of you would look adorable with a pretty veil. So have you two thought about what new last name you are going take? I was thinking Riren or Rivers."

"I really need to discuss that with Eren. I'm hoping we can come up with something better than that." 

"Well, this fangirl's vote is for Riren.”

"Duly noted. Now I need to go discuss lots of things with my beautiful and amazing fiancé." I headed back towards Eren's room to do just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow- poor Levi- he got an earful but it was justified. Lots of wedding prep to happen and lots of fun coming up with a new last name for the happy couple.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter47 

"Riren? Did Hanji really suggest that?" Eren laughed.

"Yes, sounds like one of those odd couple mash up names? I know we wanted to try to incorporate both of our names into one but that doesn't flow well with either of our first names. Levi and Eren Riren? I don’t think so."

“I am really proud to take your name no matter what it is, so whatever you come up with is fine with me.” 

"I would prefer a name that neither of us would be ashamed of, or sounds like some ridiculous shit. I know we also have to discuss where we will go to blend in and live out the rest of our lives so we will need to take that into consideration so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb..."

"Hmmm, so we want it to be meaningful to both of us, we don't want it to sound stupid and we want it to blend in with the names of the locals where we decide to relocate to."

"Exactly. Sounds easy when you state it so simply like that but I haven't been able to come up with a single good idea yet."

“I’m sure we will be able to brainstorm and come up with some great ideas together. I know you're still healing and pain never helps when trying to think straight. So how did it go with Tiffany? Was she really pissed off at us for making such drastic last minute changes? I feel awful for doing that to her."

"She was a bit upset with me. I couldn't really explain our reasons over the phone but Erwin promised to bring her up to speed as much as possible. Deep down, I know she is a bit of a masochist like myself and totally enjoys the thrill of a challenge and the adrenaline rush from a stressful deadline. I am confident that she’ll have everything in order and will be laughing all the way to the bank on my account. I'm still so sorry I can't give you the elaborate affair we had initially planned on."

He looked at me with such a sincere expression that it almost drove me to tears as he assured me that he didn't need a fancy ceremony or gourmet reception. “I don't want any of that. All I need is you by my side so I can profess to the world that I love you and promise to dedicate my heart to you for all eternity."

“I wanted to spoil you and give you the most amazing day ever. Everyone wants a perfect and memorable wedding day.“ I said knowing that this sort of thing had never been a concern of mine before I had met Eren. He somehow brought out a deep desire to protect and provide for. He was just too precious to me and I was always overwhelmed with feelings whenever just a thought about him popped into my head.

"Our day will be perfect. Just for the two of us. Too bad my suit won't be ready in time. The tailor said he was busy but would have it ready by our original date. Now it will have to be something off the rack. I guess I shouldn't have procrastinated on writing my vows either. I figured I would have plenty of time to find just the right words to say to you. I know it will never come close to expressing how I feel but I want to try."

"Says the guy who everyone loves and finds it so easy to get into long, meaningful conversations with anyone. I could barely spit out that I loved you more than anything in the world. I had all these intense feelings and they keep getting stronger every day but I have no idea how I am going to put all of that into vows. And I need to speak those words in front of other people? I’m not sure if I can or of I’ll make a huge ass of myself. Can't we just marry ourselves from the comfort of our bed?"

We both laughed at that, the thoughts running through my head of the two of us, naked and all wrapped up in soft white silky sheets and plush cloud like pillows whispering sweet promises to each other in between loving kisses and tender touches. My ideal wedding. I couldn't be sure that Eren was thinking the same thing but they way he looked at me implied that his thoughts were at least on the same train. 

"We’d never have to leave the bed again for the rest of our lives as long as we hired someone to bring in some food once in a while," he joked.

"You, Mr. Jaeger are way too young to live out the rest of your days in our bedroom. There are way too many adventures still waiting for us out there even if we do have to go underground."

"I look forward to every single one as long as I am by your side."

"It’s your lucky day since I am just a stubborn as you are, shitty brat and I have no plans to go anywhere without you."

We spent the next few hours enjoying the quiet and solitude of just being in each other's company, sometimes spontaneously spouting out suggestions for our last name, most really ludicrous sounding and hurting my side as I laughed heartily when they grew more ridiculous. We finally decided on Ven der Segler. We borrowed the Ven from the word venuer, which meant hunter- the same as Jaeger. The Segler part meant captain, of which I once was but was willingly giving up. Levi and Eren Ven der Segler. It had an elegant ring to it, but not too pretentious to seem like we were pompous jerks. That and it would be different enough from our actual names, so it wouldn't be too easy to figure out if anyone was looking for us. Our name change and marriage certificate would be filed in Germany and we could both only hope that Titan Rogue would keep looking for us in France for a while. That would give us enough time to settle down in a new place...far enough away from Europe and with no official records of where we ended up. Eren and I both agreed that we would prefer a temperate climate and we both loved the time we spent in the Caribbean. It would be a natural choice for us to make our home on one the many smaller islands there. We would be without many modern conveniences but the safety and seclusion was well worth the price. As Eren had said before, we only needed each other to be happy. 

After running through the pros and cons of about 10 different islands, there was one we kept coming back to. Maybe because it held such a special memory for us both or possibly due to the fact that it would be as close to France as I could get without living there. Martinique just seemed like the perfect choice for us to disappear into obscurity. There were plenty of nice inexpensive homes that were off the beaten path where no tourists had any interest in exploring and would take quite a bit of exploring to find. We could afford a decent sized property so there wouldn't be any closer neighbors. We could secure the place like a fortress just in case and have plenty of land to cultivate. We could grow some crops and barter for things like meat.

“I think it seems like a perfect match but I can't imagine you getting your hands dirty planting and cultivating fruits and vegetables." Eren teased, knowing my penchant for cleanliness.

"I'll have you know brat that there were a few times that I planted plenty of crops on a few of my longer termed deployments. I always preferred fresh grown herbs and veggies to the swill they tried to serve on the base. And I have no problem getting dirty as long as I can clean up later." I retorted, huffing slightly.

“Then I guess we have to make sure that any place we live in must have an excellent shower so I can get you dirty all of the time." He said with a sly grin and a slight blush to his cheeks, giving away his less than innocent meaning.

“Just you wait until I heal up fully and I'll show you dirty." I couldn't help but give him a huge smirk in return, as I would be looking forward to that as much as he was.

"Then we need to make sure to get you healed fast."

"You don't need to worry about that. We have almost 2 weeks before the wedding and I will take every measure possible to ensure I am in top physical condition for our wedding day and night. I won't be holding back and I don't expect you to either."

We both fell asleep tangled up in each other's arms with wistful thoughts of our wedding day and future lives together in our dreams. The next few days were spent discussing plans with Erwin and Hanji, who were an immeasurable help in coordinating with Tiffany for the wedding and with Realtors to sell my place and turn around and buy a nice property in Martinique. Erwin and his wife were also instrumental in getting the paperwork for the name change signed and notarized and for getting a new visa for us to move to the island. I never realized just how much work it all was and I would be forever in the debt of my friends. What would normally have taken months to accomplish was expedited in a week. Eren did a lot of filling out the menial paperwork while I engaged in lots of physical therapy. The brat was already fully healed and I would be damned if I had to miss a beat on our big day. Those two weeks flew by in a blink of the eye and before we knew it, the morning of the big day had arrived. We all piled into a fully armored and secure limousine – one that would normally be used for transporting dignitaries and began the drive to Castle Neuschwanstein.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter- next one will include the big day. I can't wait and hope that I do it justice. Just a few more chapters to go....


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

The ride to the castle was over 6 hours long so thank goodness Tiffany and Erwin had the foresight to arrange for a comfortable mode of transportation that was also extremely private and safe. The sun was barely peeking up over the horizon so we would not even have to bother with sunglasses yet. Hanji and Erwin chatted inanely while Eren and I chose to remain quiet holding each other's hands for reassurance. There was definitely an air of nervousness in the limo, and I for one was scared shitless that I was going to forget my vows or if I didn't forget them, they would be so sub-par or shallow compared to Eren's. I had complete confidence in Tiffany 's planning so I had no worries there. Every detail would be taken care of even if not the most elaborate; it was my own lack of social grace that concerned me. I could hold my own as a Captain of a huge ass cruise ship, commanding with calm, cool authority. But add in one sexy, heterochromiac bundle of muscles and affection and I turn into a puddle of tongue-tied goo. Even after practicing in front of my mirror for weeks I was shocked that I was even able to articulate when I proposed to the brat. Now here it was, the big day, and despite my intense desire to marry Eren, I couldn't shake my self doubt of saying the wrong thing and ruining our day. No matter how many times I tried to compose my vows to truly express my feelings to my future husband, I couldn't help but feel they were inadequate. At least once we got to the castle, we would be separated to get dressed and I would hopefully have the chance to relax and reflect without the distraction of my gorgeous fiancé in close proximity. I wanted nothing more than to fast forward to the part where I could kiss the bride, er groom in this case and head off to our cozy reception.

"Everything OK, Levi? You seem far off? You're not in any pain still right?" he asked after obviously catching me deeply lost in my thoughts. 

I gripped his hand tightly, " No pain whatsoever. I promised you and myself to be in peak performance today. I won't let anything get in the way of our picture perfect day." 

"Nothing could put a damper on this day. The sun is shining and so are you. The world could fall down around us and I wouldn't even notice." Stupid brat - always saying things to either speed up my pulse or cause tooth-rotting cavities with his sweetness.

I was left speechless for the rest of the ride after the embarrassment of blushing at my fiancé's endearing sentiments. We leaned towards each other so we could at least enjoy the warmth and comfort of each other's body during the long journey. We didn't need words to express our emotions and relish in each other's touch.

We finally arrived around noon which left us about three hours to get ready for the ceremony. I had no idea what the fuck would take that long to prepare for and I was not looking forward to trying to pass idle time pacing back and forth in a small room, building up nervous energy. Erwin escorted me to the room that was set-up for me and Hanji made sure to whisk Eren away to his room with a huge fanfare. I could only hope my future husband would survive to walk down the aisle. We'd only be apart for a few hours but somehow it seemed like an eternity and I felt a tiny pang in my heart when Eren was out of sight. I knew there was no rush but I couldn't seem to get my restless heart on board with my mind. Our big day was here and I wanted nothing more than to solidify our union. To make it official and to give ourselves completely to each other. 

Erwin snapped me out of my reverie and I was a bit pissed off at myself for zoning out again. I needed to be at full capacity and couldn't afford to be distracted. "You ready, Levi? Tiffany really outdid herself this time. I was blown away with everything she arranged for my wedding but she had over a year to plan. She created some miracles in the last two weeks, let me tell you."

"I hope she didn't go totally overboard. I know you gave her a quick debriefing so she should be aware of our situation. I would prefer not to die of a heart attack when she hands me the bill. Eren is much too young to be a widow."

" I assure you that she is cognizant of your plight, and the need for total discretion but you know Tiffany. I could tell she was hellbent on giving you two the most amazing wedding possible. And she was a huge help to me in finding you guys just the right place and secretly arranging for both of your things to be moved into your home. I have to admit that I am insanely jealous, of course being a possible target aside."

"Haha, Erwin Smith jealous of me? You had a successful and highly decorated military career. You retired and started a lucrative cruise line business. You were blessed with a beautiful and loving wife and you had me to earn your cruise line plenty of accolades and rewards. "

"I won't deny I've led a charmed life, but I meant that you and Eren will have plenty of time to enjoy each other, your home is amazing. I can't wait for you to see it - the ocean view is amazing and you know I've always wanted to retire in the Caribbean."

"Just don't plan on retiring your decrepit old ass near me when that time comes. I'm sure I'll be crotchety enough without having to subject Eren to grumpy old man overload."

"No worries there. We already have our summer home in Saint Thomas to live out our old age. We'll be far enough away to enjoy the occasional visit. Besides I think you'll love our wedding present. Hopefully you'll get plenty of use of it."

"Oh, it better not be some kinky ass dildo or something. That's hardly appropriate nor necessary."

"What do you take me for, Levi? I am a classy guy after all. Just look at these snazzy suits that Tiffany had made for us. They may be even nicer than the one you were going to get from your tailor." 

I couldn't believe what I heard. "There is no fucking way she found a tailor, let alone a quality one on such short notice to hand-make suits in two weeks. I figured she just would've bought some off a rack and just have mine hemmed."

"that would have been a huge waste of fabric," the huge jerk teased while laughing heartily. He held up the two suits and mine was obvious as the smaller of the two. I hated to admit it but it looked fabulous. "I told you she created some miracles."

"How the hell did she get our measurements? Eren and I both went to our own haberdashery?"

"Who knows? Who cares? The quality is amazing. I'm sure it will fit you like a glove. We gotta start getting dressed. The hair dresser and manicurist will be here soon and we at least have to get the shirt and pants on before then. You know it takes me forever to do the French cuffs and get the tie straight."

"Are you shitting me? Why the hell do we need our nails done? There is absolutely no need and I am not paying for that frivolous shit." I hated wasting money and I keep my nails looking impeccable any way.

Before I could continue my rant, there was a sharp rapping on the door. I figured it was the beautician but that was soon cleared up. "Are you two decent? What the hell is all the complaining about in here?" The door opened before we had chance to reply revealing my cousin in full on wedding business mode.  
"Levi, is there a problem? You're not even in your shirt and pants yet? If you'd rather get married in a Polo Shirt and jeans why bother retaining my services? That poor boy. Hanji already has him all dressed up and he's just waiting to get his hair done though the perpetual mussed look does wonders on him. So what are you two waiting for? And don't worry about the cost of every little thing, my frugal cousin. I got a great deal on everything including the beauty treatments so just shut up and enjoy your day. I have to go and get ready too so I'll be back to get you to walk over to the Chapel area when it's time for the ceremony. And no more complaining."

"Tch, yes mom." I grumbled sarcastically as my cousin left the room. I quickly got to getting dressed, readjusting my tie about 50 times before I was satisfied with it. Then had to work on Erwin 's almost as many times as the man truly was hopeless when it can to tying his tie and forget the cufflinks. He dropped them like 10 times. No sooner did we get finished there was another knock at the door. This time there was a hairdresser, the manicurist and a masseuse. I still felt ridiculous with all the primping but as my nails were being buffed, the neck and shoulder massage did wonders to help my anxiety. Once that was done my hair was set and I had to admit it looked perfect - not a single strand was out of place and it was soft to the touch - not greasy or sticky in the least. Much to my relief as I really wanted to feel Eren's strong hands running through my hair later that night. 

Surprisingly the time passed by much faster than I expected and it was only about 30 minutes before the ceremony was due to start when Erwin and I were completely done up and ready. I had to admit, we both looked incredible. I could only imagine how amazing Eren would look. Slowly, a bit of anxiety crept it's evil presence back into my consciousness at the thought of Eren looking like a sex god, walking down the aisle towards me leaving me speechless and incoherent. Erwin seemed to pick up on my slight unease and put his huge hand on my shoulder, "if you start to get nervous, one of the best pieces of advice I can give from my own experience is to just forget about everyone else who is there. Which should not be too hard considering there are like only 6 others. Just pretend it's just you and Eren, all alone and this is just your day to tell each other how much you mean to each other and that you both promise to be there for each other from now on, no matter what."

I pondered on his words and knew he was right. I just had to concentrate on Eren and what this day meant for us and only us." Thanks Erwin." I could do this.

"Now let's get you two love birds married." He said, clapping his massive hands together. A few minutes later Tiffany was back, fussing over how nice we looked and then escorting us to the Chapel.

As we entered the alcove of the tiny steepled building, I was amazed at the architecture. The beauty was evident in all of the tiny detail and it was hard to believe it was a part of a structure King Ludwig had built hundreds if years ago. There was already soft music playing, setting just the right atmosphere for a romantic event. The rows of pews were decorated tastefully in gold and silver ribbons, white tulle and cascading sprays of white dendrobium. Tiffany then pulled out a box from behind the a rare that was also decked out in flowers and tulle. In the box was our boutonnieres, a single white Orchid for Erwin and an elaborate bundle of tiny orchids and roses in mine. I had never seen such tiny versions of the flowers but they were magnificent and fragrant despite their diminutive size. Tiffany pinned them on both of us. When she was finished with mine, she kissed me on the right cheek and patted me on the other. " look at you, the little boy who used to play house with me, all fancy and nervous, about to marry the love of your life. I am so happy for you, mon cousin. Congratulations and I'll see you at the reception, Mr. Ven der Segler."

" Thank you Tiffany, for everything." She went to her seat and I looked at who was in attendance. On Tiffany' side, there was only Dieter, the crazy glasses' brother who had helped to save my life. On the other side, sat Mikasa and her father Hannes. I knew a lot of people we wanted to invite to the wedding couldn't be here today due to the untimely circumstances but I was thrilled that those closest to us could attend. Before much longer, the music changed and at the end of the aisle, I spotted Hanji with a basket. She began walking towards us and I realized the basket was filled with rose petals. There were some of just about every color: white, red, yellow and pink. I remembered something about each color symbolizing something like passion, friendship, serenity or some other such nonsense. I had no clue which one stood for what but that didn't matter. It was still a perfect representation that we were everything to each other now and always. The smell of roses got stronger as Hanji got closer to the altar. She took a seat next to her brother and then the music changed once again. I was expecting the traditional wedding March to kick in but instead it was Vivaldi Allegro from ‘Spring’. Eren appeared at the end of the aisle looking like an absolute angel on earth. He wore a suit that was identical to mine except where mine was black, his was white. I also noticed that a long, sheer veil adorned his head covering him almost from head to toe. I wondered if that was Hanji or Tiffany' idea. If it had been me wearing it I would have been mortified but Eren just seemed to have an ethereal glow about him, basking in happiness without a trace of embarrassment. He walked down the aisle with grace and poise and my heart just swelled at how fortunate I was. The music ended in perfect time when the "bride" reached the altar and there he was, right in front of me as we faced each other. It dawned on me that I was supposed to lift the veil and thank goodness I was able to do so with ease. I beheld the face of my beloved and just like Erwin suggested, the rest of the world melted away. Everything I ever needed or would need in the future was right in front me, galaxies of stars and super novas in his eyes that captivated and enslaved me. The most amazing part was that he was looking at me the same way. 

Too soon, we had to turn and face Erwin so he could commence with the ceremony. I concentrated on his words on and off just to make sure I wouldn't miss the cue for us to turn back towards each other and recite our votes and then exchange rings. I heard him day something about turning towards each other and holding hands. That was my cue, time to say those words that would bind us together in marriage. 

We faced each other again and grasped our hands tightly together. "Our couple has chosen to create and recite their own vows to each other and then we will have Tiffany come forward with the rings. "

This was it. I would not mess this up. "Eren, from the day you set foot on La Liberte, I was mesmerized by the spark you emit every where you go. Everyone you interacted with was touched by your positive attitude and genuine warmth. Myself included. Day by day, my feelings grew stronger, though foreign. I spent my life disciplined and cold. Living but not alive. You set my heart and soul alight and brought happiness and wonder back to me. I only want to spend the rest of my life in your arms giving you back all that you have given me. I don't deserve you but I would never refuse a gift so perfect. I promise to forever stand proud by your side and shower you with all the love in the world."

There I said it and Eren didn't look upset, so hope fully my words were sufficient. He was smiling though his eyes seemed slightly damp. Then again it dawned on me that my eyes were too. I was getting sappy in my old age. 

It was then Eren's turn and I waited with baited breath on his every word. "Levi, when I confessed to you, I was fulfilling a dream. I know a lot of people would think I was an ignorant fool to harbor such feelings for a man I hardly knew in person. I kept those feelings mostly to myself for 10 years locked deeply in my heart, fanning the flames every so often- determined to keep them alive. I set them free when I made them known to you, knowing my chances were slim. You were like a tower- the promise of love high above and out of reach. But when you told me you had feelings for me too, I thought it was too good to be true. But you showed me just how you felt and when you asked me to marry you, it made me the happiest man alive. I swear to dedicate my heart, my soul, my life to you now and forever."

If my eyes were moist earlier, they were babbling streams now as tears of joy and emotions poured out and fortunately Eren was in the same state. Tiffany came up with the rings - two simple bands and Erwin told us to exchange them. We were both trembling slightly getting the rings on each other; however, we somehow managed. 

Erwin brought the ceremony to a close " I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss each other."

And kiss each other we did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the ceremony didn't disappoint. I wanted it to be sentimental but not sappy...oh well, next chapter is the reception and the wedding night and then one final chapter after that....dabs eyes


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

I think at one point, Erwin made a humpf in impatience waiting for us to break our kiss, but fuck that. I just married the love of my life and I wanted our first kiss in wedded bliss to last forever; a memory that would be etched in our minds and hearts always. Regardless, it was over too soon and we then had to march back down the aisle and into the reception room. Hanji and Tiffany were both snapping pictures in rapid secession as we ducked out hand in hand, grinning like the love-struck fools we were. Thank goodness the two women didn't have any free hands or I am sure we would have been sprinkled with a shit ton of rice.

After leaving the Chapel, we traveled across the courtyard, led by two gentlemen dressed up like butlers to a small, but none the less gorgeous, room decorated to the nines for the wedding reception. At the far corner of the room was a tiny alcove set aside for picture opportunities. Erwin had told me that he and Tiffany refused to compromise security by allowing an outside photographer to attend, lest any pictures get leaked out to give away our location. So the few photos taken by the guests would be the only ones available for our private use. Once the other guests joined us in the reception room, Tiffany and Hanji took turns taking a few shots. Everyone came by and wished Eren and I best wishes personally while the two butlers served Perriet Jouet in fancy crystal flutes. Not a single glass had a chance to get empty and secretly I worried how Hanji would behave one she got tipsy from the bubbly. Maybe it would calm her down but most likely would speed her up even more than normal. Maybe if we could get some solid food into her she wouldn't get totally inebriated.

As if reading my mind and in impeccable time, two waitresses in perfect French maid apparel started circulating through the guests with hors d'ouevre trays. Warm delicate puff pastries, bite sized meat skewers and fresh vegetables and fruit were served until it was time to sit down for the main course. Eren and I really had to abstain from indulging in too many snacks. They were incredible but we wanted to save room for the main meal. Before too long, Tiffany disappeared for a few moments but then was back announcing that dinner was about to be served. She led us to another room where a small dance floor was located in the center and off to the side was a long table, elegantly set for eight. Eren and I were seated in the middle with Erwin, Hannes and Mikasa on one side with Tiffany, Hanji and Dieter on the other. Before we all had a chance to get comfortable and start our meal with the lovely salad already in place in front of everyone, Hanji started screaming "Speech! Speech!" So much for her quieting down after eating a few hors d'ouevres. 

Erwin graciously stood up and offered to say a few words. We didn't have a best man designated to make the traditional toast but I couldn't have asked a better man to do the honors than the one who had just married us. "I am going to keep this short and sweet. Just like the two newlyweds we have here. One is amazingly sweet and the other one short." Everyone giggled at the joke at my expense but I didn't give a fuck. I had just married an angel and had plenty of top shelf champagne so nothing could put me in a foul mood. "I'm sure we all wish the best of luck to Eren and Levi. We know firsthand how happy you two make each other and we all hope that joy continues throughout the rest of your lives. Remember all of the amazing memories you have shared and have yet to experience and they will help you get through those times when things aren't so rosy. Don't ever go to bed at night angry and don't hold onto negative thoughts. Trust me, that will make a big difference in any relationship. We will all miss you greatly as co-workers and good friends but of course we will continue to keep in touch by the methods we have employed so far. And of course we will drop in on you guys on occasion. You two are going to be living on a beautiful tropical island after all and we know for a fact there is room in your new home for a few guests from time to time. Tiffany and I have set up a gift table in the other room and we hope they will help you two get your new life started in style. So everyone raise your glasses and let's toast the new married couple. Congratulations Levi and Eren!"

Everyone cheered and clinked their glasses together, except of course for Hanji who had to start with a wolf whistle and further catcalling. My heart swelled with pride and warmth from all of the heartfelt wishes. Eren and I gave each other a quick kiss and then we raised our glasses to our friends. "Thank you everyone for this and everything else you have done and will continue to do to ensure our well being."

Erwin sat down and we were able to start eating our salad. It might have been a small portion but it had the right amount of crispness and the drizzle of dressing was perfectly refreshing. If the salad was that good, I could hardly wait for the main entree. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait too long. When the ornate plates were set in front of us I heard Eren remark that he was so glad he didn't stuff himself with appetizers and I had to agree wholeheartedly. Everything looked and smelled amazing. There was chateaubriand with a deep red wine sauce, baked fingerling potatoes and sautéed haricot verts. There was even some French bread served and that sparked a touch of nostalgic melancholy in me, lamenting that I wouldn't be able to get baguettes and croissants from my favorite boulangerie any more. I'm sure there were a lot of things Eren and I would both miss but I was sure we could find a substitute for most. As long as we had each other, and of course the basic necessities, we wouldn't need anything else. 

I was a tad disappointed when the main course was over. I felt that I could have eaten seconds or even thirds. Tiffany had truly outdone herself and picked a magnificent meal and an excellent chef to prepare it. Everyone else must have felt the same way since not a single dish had anything left on it. I wasn't expecting a dessert course since there would be a wedding cake brought out at some point for everyone. But much to the delight of everyone's sweet tooth, a plate of miniature French pastries was set in front of each guest. A tiny eclair, a bite-sized portion of a Napoleon and an individual strawberry tart graced a lovely, lace-doilied plate. They were almost too beautiful to eat but their allure was too strong and I scarfed it all down in a few bites. Eren was the only one who devoured the delectible tidbits faster. We waited patiently for everyone else to finish, perfectly happy to spend some few precious moments gazing into each other's eyes, basking in the newlywedded bliss. The unspoken words of gratitude between us, the fact that we had both survived a nightmare and got to have a chance at happiness together. Before long, the sound of dance music boomed in and Hanji screamed out that everyone needed to kick up their heels. Obviously there couldn't be a father - daughter dance and that rendered a slight undertone of sadness that neither of our parents could see this day. But the upbeat music and raucous antics of the 2 doctors trying to imitate some form of dance was enough to keep the mood light. Tiffany grabbed my arm and Mikasa drug Eren away from the table by the ear until we were all out on the dance floor. Thankful for inheriting a tiny bit of grace from my mother, I was able to move to the beat without looking like a complete loser next to Tiffany. I looked over at Eren and as always he took my breath away, his perfectly tailored suit, hugging all of his assets in just the most tantalizing way. The lighting of the room made him seem dark and mysterious against the contrast of the white suit and I had a difficult time concentrating on dance moves when all I wanted to do was to eat my new husband alive. 

With such a small group of people we all rotated around the dance floor allowing everyone to pretty much dance together. The music blared on for what seemed like forever until Tiffany somehow got ahold of a microphone. 

"This next dance is just for the lovely couple to share as their first slow dance as a married couple. Eren asked that I play this song and I couldn't agree more that it is perfect. So everyone enjoy watching our two lovebirds while I arrange for the cake to be brought out."

I really hated being in the spotlight, preferring our dance to be a little more private but I knew this was for everyone to enjoy. We'd have endless private moments in the future so I was willing to put up with this tradition. Eren and I turned towards each other an he immediately pulled me close, so I could feel his pulse thundering in anticipation. The song he chose for such a poignant moment began to play and we began to move. I tried to concentrate on the words, curious as I didn't recognize the tune right away. I managed to catch a phrase or two before I was totally swept away by the amazing man in my arms. The song was "Everything," by Michael Bublé.

"And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times/It's you, it's you, you make me sing/You're every line, you're every word, you're everything"

The words were perfect. There are inexhaustible sentiments that I could put to words to describe how I feel about Eren, but if I had to summarize to just one thing it would be that he is my everything. I didn't realize that before I had nothing, was no better than an empty shell, going about life unaware that I could once again feel the unadulterated joy that I had known as a child. We danced along with the words holding each other tightly and never breaking eye contact. When the song ended, I had no desire to leave the warmth and security in my husband's arms, resting my head on his chest. In the background, I heard a click or two from a camera and despite my hatred for photos I was glad that such an important moment would be immortalized. I was forced back to reality when Hanji started making a huge fuss over the cake that had been wheeled out. 

Why the hell was there a cake that was almost as tall as me? I had no idea. There were only 8 guests at the wedding so maybe Tiffany was planning on giving the leftovers to all of Bavaria.

"That looks amazing. Look Levi, the top of the cake has a mini version of us on it. You look so cute!!!" my new husband just had to call attention to the cake topper.

"I am not cute. Tiffany! Why is there a big ass cake with a short ass me on it? " I yelled.

"Don't be a stick in the mud, cousin! You only get married once (hopefully) and you and Eren will get to take that whole top tier with you on your voyage to your new home on Erwin's yacht. That way you'll freeze it and have it for your first anniversary to share. I guarantee this cake is so fucking delicious you'll be thanking me when you get to have some again next year. You may even want me to get this baker to make a new cake for you guys every year after. Oh and that is a 100% accurate representation of you to scale on top of that cake."

"I love the cute little Levi and Eren and we can keep them forever." Eren interjected, just in case I chose to persue my indignity further.

"Brat. Of course you would like them. Yours looks amazing. Oh well, let's hope this cake tastes as good as you say."

"I bet my life on it. Now here's the knife. Time for you and Eren to cut the cake."

"I hate to ruin it; it's so beautiful." Eren laughed while I tried to position the knife.

"Not as gorgeous as you; however, you do realize if you try to do any of that cake smashing shit on my face, I will not make it a happy wedding night."

"I promise to behave. At least for now. I can't promise that I'll behave tonight. It's been way too long since we've been able to do it."

"I just wanted to make sure I was fully healed so I could be sure to rock your world on our wedding night. Not all of us get to heal as fast as you did. Which I am eternally grateful for."

"Me too. Now let's cut this thing. It smells delicious." We took the fancy knife in our hands, Eren's covering mine and we cut out two pieces onto a plate. I picked up a small piece with a dessert fork and gently brought it up to Eren's lips. He opened his mouth wide and I placed the cake inside. He moaned slightly at the sweet taste obviously pleased by the flavor. Something about the sound he made and the look on his face was just so sexy, I had to get a taste as well. I got up on my tiptoes and claimed his lips with mine, plunging my tongue into his cake filled mouth. I moaned a little myself because damn that was some fucking amazing cake and Eren just made it that much better. I never wanted to end that buttery, vanilla kiss but reality crashed back around us when I heard Hanji cooing and Erwin clearing his throat. Oh well, at least there was a shit ton more of that amazing cake back in the real world.

While everyone was enjoying our second dessert, more champagne was passed around until everyone's teeth hurt from all of the sugary delight. Then we all walked over to the gift table. Erwin and Tiffany announced that we would get our gifts from them once we got to Martinique. They had both arranged to have the essentials moved from my townhome to the new house they had singlehandedly set up for us. So that was already a huge gift in itself. But I guess they figured on getting a small personal gesture. Hanji and Dieter presented us with an exquisite lead crystal statue of an ocean wave. Hannes and Mikasa gave us a lavish book to hold photos of our wedding in addition to a generous cash gift. The crew of La Liberte also chipped in together for a lovely painting of a sailboat at sunset. Afterwards, the music played on for about another hour. We all danced off and on as the reception wound down. Tiffany had arranged for all guests to spend the night in a a room at the castle and Eren and I would get to stay in the royal suite before we left the next morning with Erwin on his yacht. It would be a long journey but the best way for us to travel incognito.

We made our way over to the suite and Tiffany bid is goodnight. Eren and I both gave her a huge hug and thanked her profusely for everything she had done for us. The wedding was beyond amazing and all of her help with the new house was invaluable. She knew we were anxious to be alone and left before we got too emotional.

I could feel that both of us wanted to pounce on each other; however, we wanted to at least look around the royal suite, as we both agreed we'd most likely never see one again. We walked through it and the decor was posh and luxurious without being too pretentious. The bathroom consisted of a huge soaking tub and a nice shower that looked like it could accommodate at least 4 people. I definitely would take advantage of that to clean up. But after our brief tour, we were both more than ready to indulge in marital sex. Eren took my hand and we moved back over to the huge bed. We stood next to it and he leaned down to kiss me. We started slow trying to savor each moment but we were both too hungry to be patient. Our kisses and touching became frantic and we started pulling off our perfectly tailored suits. The jackets and ties went quickly but those damned button up shirts took way too long to undo. Next I unbuttoned Eren trousers and began to pull them down. Eren stopped me and at first I couldn't comprehend why. Then he explained, "Hanji helped me with this little gift for you. We wanted to make sure we had the something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue covered. I hope you like it. I've worn them all day for your eyes only." He seductively teased his pants down slowly revealing a touch of blue lace. My eyes followed his hands as the pants got lower showing off his incredible bulge in the sexiest pair of panties I had ever seen. As he kicked off his shoes and freed himself fully of his pants, I noticed a second treat waiting for me. Encircled around his left thigh was a slightly yellowed, Victorian lace and ribbon garter. The naughty contrast of it against his slightly bronzed skin was so tantalizing, I wanted to play with it up and down his thigh with my teeth. The only thing holding me back was that it looked like a family heirloom and I didn't want to damage it and I had no idea where it had been previously. 

"Eren, you minx. Those panties are so fucking sexy on you. But where did you get the garter?" I just had to know.

"Hanji bought the panties for me. She knew you'd love them on me. The garter belonged to her grandmother so it was borrowed and old. The panties are new and blue. I hope you like the gift. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get you anything else better until after we get settled in Martinique."

" Are you crazy? I love my gift because it's you. There is no better present in the world than you. I just want to ravish every inch of you right now." I growled slightly as I removed my shoes and shoved down my pants and underwear in one go, releasing my extremely eager cock. We mashed our lips together again, our two erections doing their own dance together down below as our tongues battled for dominance. Eren moved to lower the panties but I stopped his hand. "Please keep them on a little longer." I begged in between kisses. Soon my desire to taste his dick overcame any other need at that time and I dropped to my knees in front of my new husband so I could worship him properly. I started with my tongue on his inner thigh and licked up towards the cleft of his balls. I licked through the dainty lace and felt him shiver slightly and swell even more, straining the panties further. I had to compliment Hanji on her taste in panties that looked amazing and had just enough stretch. I then switched to the other thigh, kissing as I went and untied the ribbons with my teeth so the garter would fall to the ground. I then went back up and lavished his entire length from the bottom up with my mouth. Before long, Eren signaled that he had reached his limit by bending down and lifting me up gently to the bed. Tiffany really had thought of everything and the nightstand was fully stocked with enough condoms and lube that would last us a lifetime. I made a mental note to pack the leftovers to take with us for the trip to Martinique. 

I was quite glad for pushing myself through all of the rehab, as it came in handy with my stamina. As soon as I finally allowed Eren to remove his sinful panties, we went at it like sex-starved bunnies. Which I guess in retrospect we were. Sometimes I was on top, sometimes on the bottom and we even went sideways once or twice. In between, we soaked leisurely in the big tub, only to rinse off in the shower and ended up all dirty once again. We were finally sated in the wee hours of the morning and we fell asleep tangled together dreaming of all the happy memories that were yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww- gotta love new and blue. can't believe there is just one more chapter for this story. It has been so much fun to write and I will miss it greatly, along with all of the awesome readers who have stuck it out with me this long.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The next morning, Eren and I reluctantly left the huge, warm bed in the beautiful, castle suite and got back into the limo with just Erwin this time. Tiffany had already left for her flight back to France. Mikasa would spend a few days with her dad before she had to return to work. She would work for a few weeks on L'Etoile while La Liberte was finally being repaired. Hanji took the opportunity while the repairs were underway to stay with her brother since they hadn't seen each other for over 10 years before the incident reunited them. Hanji seemed all too eager to try out some new formulas for beer with him and I was secretly relieved Eren and I would be far away from Germany in case one of her concoctions was overly volatile. 

The limo ride was so much quieter without Hanji's constant banter and antics. It took about 22 hours to make it to the coast in Portugal where Erwin's yacht was waiting. It was exciting to make a transatlantic journey on a smaller vessel on our way to the gorgeous waters of the Caribbean; however, I did have some huge reservations with being confined to a smaller boat for such a long journey. I was certain a huge part of the trip would be spent in our quaint little cabin, blissfully unaware of anything going on in the outside world but we would need to stretch our legs once in a while. Erwin was an absolute saint for offering to sail us to the Caribbean, taking up a huge portion of his free time for the year. Luckily his wife was an extremely understanding woman who was more than willing to take that time as an opportunity to host an all-girls getaway with her friends throughout Europe. 

All in all, the journey turned out to be pleasant. The weather was perfect, the skies were clear and the ocean calm. Tiffany had arranged for a full array of premade dishes to be stored onboard; all of which were amazing and easily prepared in the microwave. I refused to admit it but Eren found me out when I tried to sneak some crumbs from the top tier of our wedding cake that was stored in the freezer. I was craving a taste of that ambrosia and didn't want to wait for another year. But Eren reminded me we needed to save it for our anniversary or we'd have some back luck or something. I made a mental note to beg Tiffany to get in touch with the baker to set up at least a monthly delivery. That fucker must have put some crack in that cake because the only thing that put a damper on that craving was Eren. 

The next two weeks passed beautifully. Halcyon days and Xanadu nights. The open ocean was always amazing: the sunsets were on fire, the stars shone brighter than any crystal and you never knew when you'd encounter some random sea life. Eren was absolutely over the moon when an entire pod of dolphins swam alongside the boat, escorting us for hours. We had no set schedule and while that was a foreign concept for anyone who had ever worked in the cruise industry that was dependent on strict punctuality; it was a most welcome change of pace. We dined when we felt like it. Some nights we tenderly made love all night long, gentle caresses and tender kisses for hours while we brought each other to climax over and over until we peacefully drifted off to sleep. On other nights, the intense desire and need came on like a typhoon and we fucked each other with frenzied oblivion. Thank goodness the boat was decently sized or we may have capsized it once or twice before crashing into a deep sleep from all of the exertion. Erwin again proved he was like a saint, giving us our space when we needed it and being a gracious captain and host on the times we emerged from our little cabin. Eren and I truly owed him a huge debt for everything he had done for us. 

And it seemed he wasn't done with his generosity and graciousness, because when we made it to Martinique, he floored us once again with his wedding gift. When we docked at Fort De France in Martinique, he told us that before we made the trip to our new home, he wanted to bestow us with his present. We had no idea what it could be so when he escorted is over to a boat slip on the opposite end of the docks, I admit I was extremely confused as we found ourselves standing in front of Captain Thies' schooner. The very boat in which I had proposed to Eren on. “I know this boat is special to us but I am not getting back on a boat again for a while. It was an amazing trip and we are eternally grateful but after 2 weeks on the high seas, we need a break."

"No need to get on there now. You two can take her out whenever you want. She's yours now."

Eren just seemed shocked and muttered a small questioning humpf and I figured I just misunderstood what he had just said. I guess our confusion was evident in our faces and Erwin offered an explanation. "While Tiffany and I were getting your furniture and belongings from France moved here, we bumped into Captain Thies and he asked about you two. Not that I didn't trust him but the less info we give out, the better but he did say he was hoping to see you again before he left Martinique. He was retiring and moving to Saint Croix to be with his daughter and grandchildren. In our little chat he mentioned he was trying to sell his boat since he wouldn't be doing the sunset cruises for tourists anymore. He was asking a good price and had been a dependable excursion provider for Survey Corps for many years. So it was a perfect opportunity. You can take the captain away from his ship but you can't ever take the captain out of the man. This will be your own vessel to do as you please with it. "

It was an incredible gift that was very heartfelt. I was speechless from my former boss's generosity, fortunately Eren was gracious as always and lavished Erwin with thanks. We hopped on board for just a few minutes and everything was exactly as we remembered from that amazing night we shared on it. 

"Are you going to keep the name?" Erwin asked as we were disembarking. 

"We barely even had a chance to digest that we own this boat now let alone thinking of a new name.” I laughed, thinking of all the work it takes to maintain a boat let alone the fees to keep her docked but fuck it. I had enough money to afford it. With the profit I made from the sale of my townhome in France, I was able to pay off the new home in Martinique and put the rest in the bank to gain interest. Tiffany and Erwin assured me the place was a great deal in a nice secluded area but still convenient enough to get supplies. I just hope it wasn't a dive that got dirty all of the time. Then again, it would give me something to do all day now that I was unemployed.

We walked back over to where Erwin parked his yacht and by the street was a man holding a sign that said Survey Corps. We all turned to meet him and he led us to a car. From the dock, it was about a 30 minute drive to what would be our place. We got in the car and I just could tell Eren was a nervous ball of energy. I could relate. I hated moving which would explain why once I had bought and set up my townhome to my exact specifications and preferences, I didn't leave even though I could afford a bigger place in a fancy, more convenient location closer to the dock near Erwin's home. Now I would be starting all over again, which was scary but also refreshing at the same time.

When the car stopped, I had to admit at first I was unimpressed and skeptical as there was a shit ton of big ass trees and foliage all around. No signs of a house or any other type of building could be seen. But I never should have doubted my cousin or former boss.

There was an obscured gate off to the side that no one would ever see unless they knew it was there. There was a long cobblestone pathway leading to the house which we could not get a good view of until we were on top of it due to the overhanging foliage. It was a quaint size, just perfect for the two of us from what I could tell from the exterior. Which proved me wrong once again.

When we entered the house, I was expecting a small, low-tech and minimally furnished interior. But I had to rub my eyes and ask Eren to pinch me as my eyes could not be believed. The set up was almost identical to my old townhome and all of the furnishings were my own. I knew Tiffany had arranged for my clothing, linens and kitchen ware to be moved but how the hell had she managed to get all of my heavy ass furniture here. It must have cost her a fortune. As Erwin showed us around, Eren and I were both in awe of how big the place was inside and it looked as if the entire place had been modernized. She somehow even managed to get some of Eren's knick knacks from his room moved over his face lighting up every time he spotted one strategically placed, especially the wooden box that once held his engagement ring. The kitchen had many modern touches including a wine chiller holding some of my favorite vintages. The pantry and refrigerator were already fully stocked with goodies. The bathrooms were fully tiled and with fixtures that looked like they belonged in a spa. I could easily soak in the tub with Eren all day long comfortably. I tend to stay poker faced and keep my initial reactions to myself, but after hearing Eren rant about how gorgeous everything was, I couldn't help but voice my opinion in agreement as I was so moved by the selfless gifts we had been given. "This home is incredible. It must have been gutted and fully rebuilt for a small fortune for the upgrades. "

“I personally wouldn't know. The majority of the renovations were paid for by Tiffany. That was her wedding present to you guys. If we go into one of the other bedrooms, she told me she left you guys a card in there. "

We walked out of the master bedroom and bath suite over to the hallway where I assumed was the other bedroom so I was shocked when I noticed quite a few doors. "Did I hear you say other bedrooms, Erwin? As in more than one spare?"

"Of course. You need to have room for when I visit you with my wife and then when Tiffany needs a tropical getaway. Plus you and Eren will need room for any little ones you decide to have." I don't even know how he said that with a straight face. Poor Eren seemed shocked by the unexpected suggestion and even slightly mortified by what I said next. "Where the hell do you expect little ones to come from? You think Eren is going to pop out a few? I don't think that's possible."

My husband quickly recovered from the shock to throw back some of my sass. "Who says it has to be me to pop out the babies? Your muscular, slender frame would look amazing with a petite baby bump in front."

I can't even imagine what look I gave, if it reflected the shock and horror I felt thinking about myself pregnant and all of the mess associated with it, but it must have been pretty outrageous since Erwin and Eren both broke out in hysterical laughter. When those two had run out of laughing gas at my expense, Erwin clarified that of course he meant if Eren and I ever decided to adopt. As if to solidify this it was as if he and Tiffany had the foresight for anything as there were two small bedrooms set up for guests just as they planned for their own visits. However there was a third one furnished as if for children. Nothing in your face like a crib but the walls were a pastel mint green and the tiny twin sized bed had a plethora of pillows and one adorable kitten plush in the middle holding our card from Tiffany. Eren absolutely gushed over how cute it was and all I could think was he was even more so. 

Erwin declared the tour over at that last little bedroom and said he wanted to start heading back. We offered for him to spend the night before getting right back on the ocean again but he refused saying he wanted to get back home to his wife as soon as possible since he missed her terribly and wanted to give us a chance to break in the new house in privacy. We walked Erwin back out to the car that was still waiting for him and as he got in he shouted that there was a small shed in the back where Tiffany had left one final gift. We thanked him yet again for everything and he drove off as we headed over to the shed. There was a lock hanging on the door but it was disengaged, the key in the bottom of it. When I opened the door, we found it was quite spacious, full of gardening tools as well as the basics for minor repairs around the house. In the middle were two scooters. Nothing fancy but sufficient transportation if we needed to make a grocery run. Not a single detail had been overlooked by my unbelievable cousin. We walked back up to the front door after locking the shed and Eren put the key on a string he found in the shed and placed it around his neck. I picked Eren up, taking him by surprise and carried him properly in bridal style across the threshold of our new home. 

"Welcome home, my love."

Eren leaned down to capture my lips in a quick kiss and he welcomed me to our new home as well. That night after dinner, we took Erwin's advice and christened every room we could. Eren possessively bent me over the kitchen counter as I was finishing up the dishes and fucked me until I saw stars. Later on, while watching a movie on my old couch, Eren rode me like a champ, our bowl of fluffy warm popcorn discarded and forgotten. We finished out the evening with a long soak in tub where we couldn't keep our hands to ourselves as we lathered and caressed each other all over milking each other with our hands over and over until we were both dry. When we finally reached our bed we cuddled close, goofy smiles on our faces as we thanked fate for everything we had been given and for the opportunity that each new day together would bring from here on.

The next few weeks were spent casually upgrading the sailboat. She was in great shape overall but I ordered a few modern accessories for her to make sailing safer and more efficient. Plus Eren made some personal touches to truly make it our own. We named her L’Espoir for hope. I loved taking her out for casual jaunts and the occasional romantic outing to dine in candlelight and make love under the stars as the waves gently rocked us as we rocked each other. 

We both easily clicked into the laid back island lifestyle and Martinique ingrained itself as our home in our hearts. We loved caring for our new home and taking impromptu rides on our scooters exploring the island and finding quiet secluded beaches. Eren's tan got even more impressive and I still had to be careful not to burn. 

A few months later and we were fully enjoying the schooner when Eren came up with a brilliant idea. We had a gorgeous boat and plenty of spare time. We could only clean the house so often and I had to make sure I didn't spend too much time on the beach or I would be a burnt lobster despite my SPF 100 sunscreen. I still had plenty of money in the bank but it would be nice to have some income in case of an emergency. “So when Eren suggested to me that maybe we could charter out L’Espoir. I was reluctant at first, but when he mentioned that we could give to others the lifelong memories and joy we had gotten from our cruise, I acquiesced. I knew our situation had been different since I was able to take her out myself to propose in private, however, it would still be nice to give other couples the chance for a little romantic getaway. I would just be sure to lock up or little cabin when anyone was onboard ; there was no way in hell I wanted others getting it on in our quarters. 

We contacted the local Chamber of Commerce and got a permit to offer occasional excursions, fishing charters and sunset cruises. The port master offered to advertise our services to cruise ships and other tourists looking to enjoy a ride on the sailboat. We just had to be sure that when a survey Corps ship was in Port, we would have to make sure we weren't seen. Normally it was just La Liberte in the winter months that visited Martinique on Tuesdays so as long as we made it clear we were not offering excursions on that day, we'd be safe. It was slow starting out as we were not well known but after a year or so, business picked up and our romantic sunset cruises became popular, even a few locals booked a trip to celebrate an anniversary or an elaborate date. We averaged about 4 days of work a week which was perfect to still have plenty of time to ourselves. 

Our days quickly passed by into months and then years, celebrations of birthdays came and went. Holidays were observed in casual but intimate fashion and we got to enjoy the company of Erwin and his wife, Tiffany and even Hanji and her brother visited once in that time. There was definitely some lifestyle adjustments- shopping, restaurants and recreation were quite different than in a major French city. It got to the point however that my old life seemed eons ago and I never tired of waking up each day with my sunshine next to me. I daresay I got lulled into the joy of a mundane life and expected to spend the rest of our days in uneventful bliss. I should have known better that being on an island to expect a hurricane to come along eventually, it just manifested itself differently than I ever imagined.

It started out as any normal day. There was no sign or warning of the impending storm. Eren and I had just gotten done our early morning trimming of the foliage. It got hot as balls in the afternoon so you had to cut all that shit back before the sun got too high in the sky and we learned our lesson that first year when we let it go a little too long and it was like chopping through a dense rainforest. I had just gotten into the shower after Eren had gone first so he could make breakfast while I took my turn. I had the shower head on the gentle rain setting so I could hear the phone when it rang. It startled me since it was extremely rare for anyone to call as only a handful of people had the number and used it just as a notice for an upcoming visit. Erwin had just had his yearly stay at our place with his wife and new baby boy. Eren had just gushed the whole two weeks over the little beast and I had to sterilize the whole place from top to bottom when they left. So I tried to listen to the conversation a bit to determine who was calling but with no luck. I sped through my shower anxious to get out to Eren as dread filled my chest, always expecting the other shoe to drop. 

The conversation must have been quick and to the point as Eren was just hanging up as I walked into the living room with just my towel around my waist, my hair still dripping in my face. 

"I'll go talk to him about it right now and we will let you know, OK, Bye."

He must have sensed my presence and turned towards me, a serious look on his face that turned to surprise when I quickly yelled "Who was that? Was there an emergency?"

He grabbed me by both hands and started rambling so quickly I barely caught every other word. "Levi, Erwin....one of the housekeeping...didn't know....baby girl...premature. Try adoption? Please Levi?"

"Eren, calm down and explain slowly please." I deadpanned not able to figure out what he was trying to say.

Eren obliged and spun me a quick story. He didn't have all of the details but I could tell he was already emotionally involved. Basically Erwin called to tell us that one of the housekeeping staff on La Liberte had just had a baby girl. She was not aware she was pregnant and had no prenatal care. The baby was born two months early and the mother was unable to care for the child. She had no family to send the baby to and no stable place to live which was why she was on a long term contract on the cruise ship. So they were looking to put the baby up for adoption and Erwin thought of us for some reason. I blamed Erwin for getting Eren all baby crazy when he just had to bring his spawn to visit. Eren's puppy eyes just begged for me to agree to try even though I didn't have a clue how to go about an adoption let alone how to take care of a baby. I never considered myself daddy material. And who the hell would agree for two men who barely have a legitimate income to adopt. I didn't want to crush Eren's hopes now only to be crushed later when we were denied. I tried to explain that to him but he was insistent that we try. I found that I could just never refuse him.

So for the next month the two of us ran around in circles, jumping through hoops and chomping down antacid tablets while crossing our fingers to be approved to take in and raise a little bundle that we had never even laid eyes on. Erwin had sent a picture of the tiny baby to our email and despite only weighing about 2 and a half pounds, and being connected to a ton of different tubes, her eyes were filled with that same determination as my green eyed husband. 

Who knew that my cousin would come to the rescue yet again. One of her best friends was a lawyer who specialized in family law in France. Since the baby was born on a ship registered in France she was a French citizen and I had not fully revoked my citizenship either. It was a huge risk to file legal documents that would be public record but we used the Survey Corps address for their corporate office. Plus I doubt anyone from Titan Rogue would ever suspect I would file for an adoption. 

Tiffany' friend worked endlessly for us so that we could have everything approved by the time the baby was ready to be discharged from the hospital. Eren took a huge leap of faith and arranged for a crib and other baby necessities to be delivered. I waited everyday for that devastating blow to the both of us but it never came. What did come was a tiny 5 pound bundle of joy wrapped in a pink blanket. We fretted and panicked for over a month but it was all worth it as we got to hold her for the first time. Eren absolutely glowed with pride as he marveled at the little angel in his arms. My heart swelled and I fell hard in love with him all over again. We named her Odette Tiffanie. My mother's favorite character as a ballerina was the beautiful Swan princess and of course we never would have had a chance in hell if adopting her if it hadn't been for Tiffany and her lawyer friend. 

Being that she was born premature we were like two nervous wrecks in the beginning but she was strong willed and stout hearted as she grew quickly. Eren learned to be an excellent sailor and we would swap out excursion duty so at least one of us could always be at home with Odette. We definitely needed that income now that we had a hungry little mouth to feed and to dress up and just spoil in general. She learned fast from her emerald eyed daddy just what look to give me when she wanted something. Odette also adapted to the boat like a natural sailor and we started taking her out with us as much as possible. She would occasionally help prepare the snacks we would serve on the sunset cruises and then one of us would just keep her with us down in our little quarters while the other was at the helm. It was a little embarrassing at first knowing the lewd things we had done in those quarters but we got over that quickly as it was always one of my favorite places to make love to Eren and I had no intention of stopping.

Erwin tried to visit twice a year from then on which was a nice break where Eren and I could get away for a night or two on our own, while his wife babysat Odette and their own little brat. The two kids became good friends which was wonderful until the day when we blinked and realized the two were almost all grown up and wanted to start dating. We had no idea when this had happened but could not deny our little angel happiness. Like his dad, Erwin's son had become a sailor as well and the two would frequently take out his dad's yacht when they would visit. Eventually, he moved to Martinique to be near Odette and purchased his own boat. It was a few years later that Eren and I found ourselves balling our eyes out as our baby sailed off with her new husband in that boat. Once she was out of sight, we wiped our eyes and went back home pondering our blessings. It must have been something with the ocean I thought as I passionately kissed the love of my life. L'Amour en mer. I was a true believer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YAY! A happily ever after. I really want to give a huge shout out to all of my loyal readers who stuck with this story. I know there were some parts that were not everyone's favorite and some of that fluff I wanted to maintain disappeared for a while but this was a labor of love and the boys drove the plot in my head, I swear. I will miss the story as it was fun and unique and while not super popular I feel blessed for those who really seemed to enjoy it and commented. So while all good things have an end, so they also have beginnings. I still have lots of ideas swimming around me so who knows what further adventures these two will get up to.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading. I know I'm still working on other stories for these two but so many plot bunnies, so little time. I promise that I will update as regularly as possible. Hope you enjoyed!


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